


Graceless Heart

by ObscureReference



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst with a Hopeful Ending, Banter, Canonical Alternate Universe, Canonical Character Death, Complicated Relationships, Denial of Feelings, Drowning, Established Relationship, Everyone Has Issues, F/F, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Flashbacks, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Horror, Hospitals, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Kissing, Lack of Communication, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mention of childhood bullying, Mommy Issues, Multi, Near Death Experiences, Nonbinary Character, Possessive Behavior, Romantic Fluff, Self-Esteem Issues, Shock, Storms, Trauma, Trust Issues, Unresolved Romantic Tension, commitment issues, good communication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:17:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 82,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23305186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObscureReference/pseuds/ObscureReference
Summary: “Anyway, you said Xander told you what this trip was about? It’s alright. It’s not a secret or anything.”“It’s because of your father, right?” Inigo said, shoving his embarrassment—real and exaggerated—aside. “I mean, your birth father. Because he and your mom used to drive out there?”"That's right," Corrin said.(Alternatively:Xander and Laslow are still in the honeymoon phase. Leo and Niles would like to be in the honeymoon phase with Owain, but he refuses to be alone with them because of something Leo did, apparently. Severa and Camilla are talking a lot but never discussing the important things. Corrin is trying to turn the last week of summer into a happy memory with their siblings while also juggling the search for their father who, you know, vanished over twenty years ago. Elise is just here to help.Also, there's something in the water.)
Relationships: Camilla/Luna | Selena, Lazward | Laslow/Marx | Xander, Leon | Leo/Odin/Zero | Niles
Comments: 32
Kudos: 90





	1. Kuroyuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *lays face down on the floor* I have been editing this fic for three (3) days straight, and I have been writing it for... nearly two years now. *insert celebratory emoji here*
> 
> I started this fic before leaving for Japan in August of 2018 (although I cannot exactly recall how long before) and have only managed to finish it now in March of 2020. There were a lot of times where I went weeks (or probably even a month or two) without touching it despite really wanting to get even just a little done. This fic taught me a lot about the power of outlining. (I actually outline fics now?? Wow.) I made diagrams in paint applications for this fic when I was experiencing burnout for the first time in my life and could do no writing at all. It's been a long battle. And here it is now. Wow!
> 
>  **Regarding tags:** There's a lot going on in this fic. It's tagged as a horror and scary things do happen, but to me, it's also a character study. I tagged everything I thought would be applicable here, but there is a chance I've overlooked something or you may be bothered by something that I wouldn't think to tag. If you have any worries, don't hesitate to shoot me a message in the comments below or on my [tumblr!](http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/) I'd rather you be comfortable reading (or not reading at all) rather than be triggered by something that seriously bothers you. To note, tags like the "child neglect" or "parental issues" tag are more or less on par with their levels in canon but are examined in more detail than the games show, if that helps at all. I tried to keep things mostly aligned with canon when I could, but like I mentioned before, this is partly a character study. I deep-dive a little. 
> 
> The sexual content in this fic is mostly in the second chapter, but in general it includes: kissing (including one scene that is implied to be ramping up to sexual contact whilst kissing and then has a sort of "fade to black" moment), a few cases of innuendo, the anticipation of doing more than kissing, etc. and references to sex occurring. 
> 
> Also, this fic takes place in a Modern AU, so certain events have been adjusted to fit the lack of dragons and fantasy setting, FYI. Characterization is included in that. I will have more notes on this at the end of the fic expanding on writing choices in detail, if anybody is interested in that. Don't read those until you've read the fic first though (unless you want major spoilers.)
> 
>  **Note about Garon:** He is already dead in this fic! He passed a few years ago. Corrin did grow up with the Nohr family and found out about Mikoto and the Hoshido sibs later in life, as in canon, although they were likely in their teenage years when it happens rather than whatever age you HC Corrin being in-game. The fic does not focus on those events, so while the Mikoto-Hoshido Fam-Nohr Fam relationship is mentioned, specifics are often glossed over. Nobody is royalty, however, so the events of Corrin's kidnapping and whatnot are adjusted to fit however you would expect those events to play out in the modern world. The details are up to your imagination. 
> 
> **Important Note:** This fic functions on movie rules!! If you read a scene and think "Hm, that could be a little more realistic," I already know. I just didn't want it to be _that_ realistic with the action sometimes. Think of it like a movie, you know? It's all Movie Rules.
> 
> The title comes from "Shake It Out" by Florence and the Machine. Because I needed a title, lol. I actually listened to much different music while writing, but I love FatM also, so.
> 
> I've been editing this fic for 3 days, but I've been writing it for a very long time and am only one person. If you see any grammatical or formatting errors, please don't hesitate to point them out to me.
> 
> To everyone out there struggling in quarantine right now, my heart goes out to you. Times are tough right now. We're going to get through this together.

Inigo pulled his car along the curb and parked, letting the engine idle. The flurry of movement he noticed through the windows of the house wasn’t surprising. He’d sent Corrin a warning text ten minutes before. Just to be safe, he sent another text saying he’d arrived.

Normally Inigo might have stepped out of the car and knocked on the door, sparing a few minutes—if not more—to say a personal hello himself. But it was already late afternoon, and the others were nearly at the cabins, if they hadn’t arrived already. Inigo and Corrin still had the full drive ahead of them. So as much as he wouldn’t have minded stretching his legs for a little bit in anticipation of the drive ahead, it was better they leave as soon as possible.

After only a minute or two of waiting, the front door opened and Corrin stepped into the yard with a decently sized bag, presumably stuffed with enough fresh clothes to last a week. Inigo’s own bag was already in the trunk.

“Goodbye!” Corrin waved behind themselves, constantly looking over their shoulder as they carried their bag to the car. In the doorway, Inigo could see Corrin’s mother, Ryoma, and a few vaguely familiar strangers that he presumed to be Corrin’s other siblings crowding around each other. “Thank you all so much! I miss you already!”

Mikoto waved goodbye to Corrin gracefully, her smile serene. Her children stood around her. Inigo mentally tried to match names to faces he’d only seen in photographs. Ryoma looked regal, of course. Inigo thought he saw a flash of Takumi’s long ponytail between them. Sakura poked her round head around the corner and added hesitant wave herself. It was a heartwarming sight. They made quite the striking family portrait as well.

In another life, Inigo would not have been surprised to find their whole family to be some kind of benevolent royalty. They had that kind of aura.

Hinoka elbowed her way between Ryoma and Mikoto, having presumably been stuck behind them before.

“Come back soon!” she said, waving with the king of energy Inigo might have expected from somebody watching a large passenger ship depart in the 1800s.

“I will!” Corrin promised. They were smiling broadly.

There were a few more shouts as Corrin crossed the short distance to the car. Inigo popped the trunk open for them. He received a few nods and smiles of acknowledgement when he stepped out of the car to help Corrin load their things, which he kindly returned.

It was a goodbye worthy of a war hero rather than a sibling going on vacation for a few days, but Inigo wasn’t surprised by their enthusiasm anymore. Everyone doted on Corrin, on both sides of their family. Every time they swapped homes for a week, Inigo had heard, both sides acted as though Corrin were traveling across the country rather than across town.

Inigo didn’t doubt the honesty of their words though. Sumeragi’s children just loved each other that much, the same way Xander and his siblings did. Inigo thought it terribly sweet. He wouldn’t have been surprised to learn this long goodbye had been dragging on all morning.

“Have a safe trip,” Mikoto said loudly from the doorway as Inigo closed the trunk.

“We will!” Corrin promised. They looked over at Inigo, so Inigo beamed at the doorway.

“Fear not, madame! I will personally guarantee Corrin’s safety and happiness in the upcoming week.”

He winked playfully for good measure. Ryoma’s eyebrows furrowed, and Sakura ducked back behind her mother under Inigo’s not at all intimidating gaze. Mikoto smiled back, gently amused.

Inigo thought he heard Takumi scoff under his breath, but they were too far apart for Inigo to hear him clearly. Hinoka whispered something into Takumi’s ear that Inigo also couldn’t catch.

“I’m sure you will,” Mikoto said. “I’m not worried in the slightest. I wish you both the best of fun.”

“I’ll tell you all about it when I return,” Corrin promised. They were lingering outside the passenger side door. Inigo slid into the driver’s seat to wait.

While Corrin stood on the curb exchanging last minute reminders to text, to be careful outdoors, and so on, Inigo felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He opened his messages.

**From: Xander**

_Have you left yet?_

Inigo smiled despite himself, chest blooming warmly the same way it did every time he got a message from Xander.

**From: Inigo**

_Leaving now. See you in a bit._

He hit send on the text. Then, after a moment spent thinking, he sent a second text containing only a pink heart emoji.

A few seconds passed. His phone buzzed with another message from Xander: a single check mark.

Inigo had nearly set his phone aside when he received another message.

**From: Xander**

_< 3_

Unable to contain himself and having no reason to do so anyway, Inigo’s grin widened.

The passenger door opened, and Corrin climbed into the car. Inigo dropped his phone onto the console between them, still grinning stupidly.

“All ready?” he asked.

“Ready as can be,” Corrin replied, looking just as cheery.

Inigo pulled away from the cub as Corrin buckled their seatbelt. They were off.

“So how was it?” Inigo asked as he turned onto the main street. It would be a few minutes before they made it out of town. “Enjoy your week?”

“Yes!” Corrin was clearly in a good mood. “I know I see Ryoma and the others during the school year too, but everyone is often so busy with work and classes of their own that it’s hard to get together as a family, you know? This week was so lovely.”

“That’s great,” Inigo said, turning a corner. “And now you get to spend another week with the other half.”

“Exactly.”

The conversation lulled for a moment as the car rolled to a stop at a red light. Inigo handed Corrin the AUX cord without looking, and Corrin took it gratefully.

Corrin looked out the window, watching the buildings pass by as they absently shuffled through a playlist for the right song. “Thanks for picking me up, by the way. I know Xander and the others would have wanted me to drive up with them, but I didn’t want to cut my visit short if I didn’t have to.”

Inigo took his eyes off the road for just a second to flash them a grin.

“Of course,” he agreed. “I had to help my mother with some things around the house this morning anyway, so it was no problem.”

Corrin flashed him another smile. “Still. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime.”

“What were you helping your mother with, if you don’t mind me asking?”

They chatted for a while about how Inigo’s mother was redecorating one of the bedrooms in his childhood home before talking about what Corrin had been up to for the past week. By the time all the general questions were answered, they had left the city limits.

“So,” Inigo said, finally deciding to breach the topic that had been on his mind since the trip had been proposed, “a little birdie told me you plan to do a little soul searching while we’re out there.”

Corrin didn’t immediately answer.

“Sorry,” Inigo said, faltering. “I suppose that’s none of my business, really.”

“No,” Corrin said with a shake of their head. “Sorry. It’s not that. You just had me thinking.”

Inigo tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, no.” Corrin waved their hand in a placating manner. “It’s really fine. Xander told you why I wanted to do this, didn’t he?”

Inigo couldn’t help but glance over.

“He mentioned it once or twice,” he admitted. “I wasn’t sure if I should even be invited, actually. I thought maybe it should just be your family. But then, Owain and Severa are coming too, so…”

“You _are_ family,” Corrin said, which was quite generous. Inigo wasn’t sure if that was true just yet, but it made his stomach churn pleasantly anyway. “I know you and Xander haven’t been dating that long, but Xander’s never really dated _anyone_ before. He really—cares about you. Of course you’re included.”

They didn’t say anything about Severa and Owain, who were not explicitly dating anyone at the moment, but Inigo knew why they didn’t. Severa and Owain’s situations were a more complicated than his own. It made him feel a bit better to know Corrin truly didn’t mind Inigo tagging along, however.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Your honeymoon phase is really cute too,” Corrin added.

Inigo’s face heated. He tightened his hands on the wheel.

“Our _honeymoon phase_?”

“That’s what Camilla called it,” Corrin said innocently. “You know, with the way you’re always touching each other and texting and…”

Inigo groaned dramatically.

Corrin laughed, dropping the act. “Sorry, I won’t tease.”

“Betrayed so callously already,” Inigo said with a fake whine. “I see how the next few days are going to play out already.”

Corrin laughed at his expression.

The laugher faded as they said, “Anyway, you said Xander told you what this trip was about? It’s alright. It’s not a secret or anything.”

“It’s because of your father, right?” Inigo said, shoving his embarrassment—real and exaggerated—aside. “I mean, your birth father. Because he and your mom used to drive out there?”

That was a very basic, stilted recap of what Inigo knew, but Corrin nodded anyway. The air in the car thickened as the smile began to slip off their face.

“That’s right,” Corrin said. They turned to face the window again, although most of the buildings had disappeared now. “My family is my family, and nothing will ever change that. But I’d like to learn more about who my other father was too. The father I never got a chance to meet.”

Inigo struggled to think of something comforting to say. After a moment, Corrin turned back, making a sheepish face.

“I know I’m not going to find him out there or anything. Not really. But I wanted to visit some of the places my parents—my birth parents—used to spend time at. Maybe I can understand some of what my mom saw then. What they both saw.”

Corrin laughed at themselves. “It sounds a little silly out loud. Does that even make sense?”

“Of course it does,” Inigo said. He’d heard it all second-hand from Xander before, but hearing it straight from Corrin’s mouth stirred something in his chest. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to connect with your family. Especially ones you never got the chance to meet.”

Corrin smiled, and thankfully they looked a little reassured. “Exactly. And we can all spend some time together too. I’ve been with Ryoma and everyone a lot recently. It’ll be nice to spend some time with the others.”

“It’ll be lots of fun,” Inigo said, forcing a little extra pep into his voice. “I promised your mom that it would be, after all. And I hope you brought sunscreen, because swimming is probably going to be on the agenda every day this week.”

“Great. I’m planning on it.”

* * *

Despite the price Inigo had guiltily looked up and grimaced at one night while he’d been packing, the cabin they were staying at looked surprisingly rustic.

Maybe they weren’t made of real wood, he conceded as he drove along the curvy road circling the lake. But if that was the case, the builders had done a really fine job of making them look convincing. The cabins looked very traditional and aged from the outside, but Inigo knew from pictures that the inside of the cabins were rather well-kept.

“Oh, wow,” Corrin said, voicing his thoughts out loud. “It’s beautiful.”

“Sure is,” he said.

There were other, newer camp grounds on the property, but Inigo and the others were staying at the older cabins—the ones that lined the large lake the area was known for.

He counted the numbers on the cabins as they drove by and noted that the cabins weren’t all lining the lake in a neat row. A group of five or so cabins were often clustered together in one area, all slightly angled along the curve of the road. Some yards away were the next set of cabins, and then the next. It made the place feel a lot homier, Inigo thought. More like a neighborhood than a generic setup. That was probably part of the reason the cabins had such good reviews online, he figured.

Despite the good reviews, however, a lot of the buildings looked empty when he passed by them. There had been a sizable number of cars parked along the other turnoffs Inigo had passed by, but those numbers had thinned the closer they got to the lake. He spotted only two other obviously occupied cabins as he made his way around the water, and neither were anywhere close to where Inigo and the others would be stationed.

He was a little surprised to see so few people around until he remembered how late in the summer it was. A lot of families that might have found a lakeside vacation appealing probably had children who were back in school by now or who were about to return to school in the next week or so. Elise was already cutting it close, he knew. Between the end of summer and the price that Inigo didn’t want to think about, he conceded that their group was probably coming to stay during the tail end of peak guest season.

Not that it mattered to him much. Considering the size of their group, Inigo doubted there was going to be much time to feel lonely.

The closer to the entrance, the higher the numbers on the cabins. Corrin counted them down as they passed each cluster of buildings.

“Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…” They pointed ahead. “I think we’re in the next group.”

The familiar cars parked along the road ahead had given that much away, but Inigo appreciated Corrin’s double-checking anyway. “I think you’re right.”

Three out of five of the cabins looked occupied, and Inigo already had a pretty good guess of who had planted themselves in which cabin.

Judging by the lack of cars at the other cabins, there weren’t going to be any surprise neighbors in the next few days, so he didn’t feel guilty about parking behind Xander’s car—a little too close to the cabin next door to be polite if there hadn’t been so many of them.

Elise came bounding out of the center cabin—the largest, Inigo noted, with what looked to be some sort of extra space attached to one side that the others didn’t have—before Corrin even got out of the car.

“Corrin!”

Elise barreled into Corrin as Camilla appeared in the open doorway. Corrin returned Elise’s hug while Inigo opened the trunk. Camilla nodded to him as she walked across the grass, and he nodded back. The focus was on Corrin, as usual. Inigo listened to their chatter idly as he pulled his and Corrin’s bags out.

“I have to show you everything!” Elise gushed. “It’s so great here! You and I are sharing a room, and Camilla and Severa get their own too! And the lake is so pretty. I want to go swimming—"

“Now, now, Elise,” Camilla said evenly, though she was clearly just as pleased that Corrin had arrived. “Let’s give them some time to unpack first.”

“Aw, okay,” Elise said. She was still holding one of Corrins’ hands between two of her own. “But I want to explore as soon as you’re done! Can we?”

“Definitely,” Corrin said. “In fact, my legs are tired from being stuck in the car for so long. Why don’t you show me around right now?”

“Sure!”

Inigo placed the bags on the grass and closed the trunk of the car loudly, the sound drawing everyone’s eye.

“Woe is me,” he bemoaned, leaning against the side of his car. “Am I the bellboy? Have I gone invisible? Do I not deserve a hello as well?”

Corrin’s face instantly fell. “Oh, I’m sorry, Inigo! No one’s ignoring you. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen Camilla or Elise, so—"

Inigo shook his head with a wink. “I’m only teasing. You don’t have to take me so seriously.”

Camilla raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t believe we’re the ones you should be expecting attention from,” she said.

She pointed to a space just out of Inigo’s periphery. He turned.

Xander had opened the door of the nearest cabin and was looking down at Inigo with a bemused expression.

“Xander!” Inigo said brightly. “Finally, somebody who perhaps cares for me!”

He swore the corner of Xander’s mouth twitched upwards, but it was gone in a flash. Xander looked at him for barely a moment longer before turning to the others.

“Corrin,” Xander greeted, “I’m glad to see you made it safely.”

“Wha—”

Corrin stifled their laugh with a cough, but Elise giggled outright. Even Camilla smiled at the obvious brushoff.

Inigo placed his hand against his forehead and threw his head back, prepared to do his best rendition of Owain in a universe where Owain cared more about soap-opera dramatics than magic and dragons. He was stopped by fingers on his wrist, pulling his arm back down.

“Oh, so _now_ you care,” Inigo said, faux begrudgingly.

Xander tugged him forward. Inigo stumbled into Xander’s side and received a peck on the cheek in return. He felt his face heat up with pleasure and the embarrassing weight of everyone’s eyes on them.

“No trouble getting here?” Xander asked, straightening before Inigo could return the favor.

He internally cursed Xander’s height advantage; the difference between them was large enough that Inigo wasn’t going to embarrass himself by standing on his tiptoes or yanking Xander down. At least not in front of everyone.

“It’s not as if this place is exactly off the map,” Inigo said. “There are signs everywhere. I don’t think we could get lost if we tried.”

“You’d be surprised,” Xander said. “Come. I’ll show you around.”

Elise was already tugging Corrin towards the other cabins, Camilla trailing dutifully beside them.

Inigo’s flicked his eyes over the row of cabins and made a mental note—his and Xander’s cabin furthest to the right, Elise and Camilla in the middle, and presumably Leo and Niles on the other side.

He followed Xander inside, feeling good about the rest of the afternoon.

“I think it’s quiet cozy,” Xander said as the door fell shut behind them. “But you can decide that for yourself.”

Inigo looked around. Cozy was not the word he would have chosen. “That’s one word for it.”

They’d stepped through the front door and into the kitchen. The wood underfoot was a little dated, but still quite nice. The cabin was as well-kept as the pictures advertised. Off to the right stood a door that probably led to the bathroom. He ignored that door for now and focused on the “main” room.

The cabin had an open concept floorplan, which meant wooden planks gave way to tan carpet halfway through the room. One half was the kitchen, and the other was the living room. On the living room side of the cabin, two L-shaped couches had been arranged around a decently sized—if slightly older, though certainly updated sometime in the last decade—television that had been set at an angle in the far corner of the cabin.

The back door stood directly across from the front door. Inigo could see the lake through the window.

He passed through kitchen and moved into the living room, turning in a slow circle to take everything in properly. A shaded deck sat just on the other side of the back door, he saw through one of the windows. He imagined sitting outside with Xander as the sun set, drinks in hand. His heart fluttered. Beyond that, the lake glistened, beautiful.

It was a more than decent space for himself and Xander. Especially for a full week. Inigo could have easily spent a month in this place.

“Well?” Xander prompted, looking pleased at whatever he saw in Inigo’s face. “What do you think?”

He couldn’t wipe the excitement off his face and didn’t bother to try.

“Let me see the bedroom, and I’ll tell you then,” he teased.

The second door on the right led to the bedroom. Inigo pushed it open and turned on the lights.

The bedroom was a little darker than the living room, mostly because nobody had bothered to open the curtains lining the room’s lone window. The bed itself was decently sized, and the sheets looked clean. The head of the bed was pressed under the window, against the same wall that bordered the lake. Inigo imagined leaving the curtains open and letting the sunlight gently tease him and Xander awake in the mornings. He was growing more excited by the minute.

The bed took up most of the bedroom, though that was fine by Inigo. There was enough space to squeeze by on either side of it, and a closet with folding doors had been squeezed into the corner. 

There were more modern places they could have stayed, certainly. Places where cleaning staff came by every day to change out miniature shampoo bottles and remake the sheets. Places that probably would have been cheaper than a night on the lake, even. However, Inigo in no way minded the look of the cabins or the self-sufficient feel of the place. It was more than enough for him by far.

Xander came up behind him, waiting. Inigo slipped off his shoes and climbed onto the bed to open the curtains.

“I know you’re not a vampire,” Inigo said, pulling the fabric apart and letting the sun shine in. That was better, he thought. Immediately, the room had brightened.

“I haven’t really been in here yet,” Xander said. He leaned against the doorway with crossed arms.

He could feel Xander’s eyes on him without turning, but he turned anyway. The sheets had wrinkled under his socked feet.

“And why’s that?”

“I was waiting on you,” Xander said.

His face was so serious, Inigo thought. Xander’s face was always so serious. He wanted to rub the furrowed lines of Xander’s brow into something softer. But no matter how solemn Xander looked, his words were sweet as anything.

Inigo spread his arms. “Come here, will you?”

Dutifully, Xander did, though not without some teasing.

“You just want to feel taller for once,” Xander accused lightly, stepping close enough for Inigo to wrap his arms around Xander’s shoulders. With the extra height of the bed, it was Xander who had to look up for once.

“Blasphemy,” Inigo said, pressing their foreheads together. “Though if I did, could you blame me?”

“Blame your genes,” Xander said. Then he kissed Inigo.

It wasn’t definitively on his top ten list for best kisses he’d ever had with Xander, but it was up there. All his kisses with Xander were. It was possible he needed to make a longer, more inclusive list. This one was definitely a contender.

Damn. Maybe Corrin had been right about that honeymoon phase comment.

Xander was very good with his mouth, and Inigo wouldn’t have minded keeping it up for a lot longer if their phones hadn’t buzzed near simultaneously.

Inigo was tempted to ignore it, but Xander, ever the workaholic, pulled back to check. Inigo made a disappointed sound. Xander shushed him without looking.

With Xander looking at his phone, Inigo pulled his out too. He made a note of the low battery.

**From: Severa**

_hey you’re here right_

**From: Severa**

_Owain won’t answer his phone_

**From: Severa**

_come meet me on the dock_

Inigo vaguely remembered seeing a dock outside, around the back.

“I’m afraid I have to cut this a bit short,” Xander said with a shake of his head, tucking his phone away once more. “I still have a few things to wrap up for work before I’m truly on ‘vacation.’ I apologize.”

“No worries.” Inigo shrugged. He reluctantly hopped off the bed and onto solid carpet, slipping his shoes back on. “I know what to do when duty calls. Severa just texted me anyway. I can keep out of your hair for a while.”

“You’re not in my hair,” Xander said. Inigo heard the unspoken _But it is appreciated_ anyway.

He patted himself down and came up with mostly empty pockets. “Do you know where my charger is?”

“Probably in your bag,” Xander replied, “which you left on the lawn.”

“Did I really? Darn. Guess I’ll get that first.”

Inigo started to move towards the front door, but Xander held up an arm to stop him.

“I’ll get it,” Xander said. “It’ll be one last stretch of my legs before it’s back to work.”

 _Work_ was probably answering a ton of emails and reviewing projects and other such things Inigo couldn’t really wrap his head around but knew were important. He’d caught sight of the laptop Xander had left on the end table pushed between the two couches in the living room when he’d walked in. Xander had probably been hard at work before their arrival. If the cabin had enough space for an office, Inigo was sure Xander would have setup in there instead.

“Could you plug my phone in when you do?” Inigo asked, handing Xander the nearly dead device. “I’d appreciate it.”

Xander took the phone. “Of course.”

“Thank you,” Inigo said. “Don’t work too hard now.”

Xander sent him a look Inigo interpreted as _Are you kidding me._ Inigo winked and, before Xander could change his mind about getting Inigo’s bag, slipped out the back door and onto the deck.

The air was warm and the sky still clear as Inigo stepped down the deck steps and onto the grass. He didn’t know where everyone else had gone, but he saw Severa standing on the one and only dock between their cluster of cabins, arms crossed and tapping her foot. Though she’d only been there a handful of hours longer than Inigo, she already looked frustrated.

Inigo made sure to approach with a broad grin and a skip in his step.

“Nice place, isn’t it?” he said when they were close enough to speak without raising their voices. Inigo came to a stop beside her on the dock. The water didn’t sit very far below the lip of the dock at all, he thought. “It should be good weather all week too. Things are looking good.”

Severa pursed her lips. It was a familiar expression.

“I guess,” she said.

Inigo put his finger on his chin, pretending to think about it. “What? You don’t think so?”

Severa scowled. “In case you haven’t noticed, you and Xander have your own room. The nerd squad get their own cabin too. But _I_ have to share with Corrin _and_ Elise. No offense to them.”

“And Camilla,” Inigo added.

Severa huffed.

Inigo opened his mouth in mock surprise. “Oh! So that’s how it is.”

She shoved at his shoulder. “Shut up. Like you don’t know.”

“What exactly is the problem here?” He stole a glance at the buildings behind them and eyed the square addition that stuck out of the side of Severa’s cabin. “Aren’t Corrin and Elise sharing their own room? You and Camilla still have your own space. Unless one of you is sleeping on the couch?”

When Severa took a beat too long to answer, he looked back at her. “Are you?”

“No,” Severa grumbled, arms still crossed. “But we might as well be. Nothing’s going to happen if it’s Little Sib time _all_ the time. And it’s never _not_ Little Sib time when they’re around.”

“It’s not like they mean for it to be,” Inigo reminded her gently. “Elise is still young, and everyone dotes on Corrin. It’d be the same thing if Elise and Corrin were rooming with me and Xander instead.”

“I _know_ ,” Severa said. “But I’m just saying, everyone else got their own cabins. It wouldn’t have been a stretch for Camilla and me to have our own too. I think she made sure we wouldn’t.”

Inigo tried to cover up his grimace with a shrug. It was a mixed success.

“Maybe,” he conceded. “But think about what you’re saying too. The fact we’re here at all is pretty privileged. Cabins are expensive. And we’re renting _three_.”

The reality of it was still a little mind boggling, no matter how well-off he knew Garon had left his children. Even he hadn’t, however, Inigo had a feeling Xander would have found a way to make this work somehow anyway. The whole family always seemed to go above and beyond when it came to accommodating one another.

Plus, you know. Rich people privilege.

Severa pouted. “They’re using an end of summer discount. Plus _another_ discount because Mikoto was such a loyal customer for all those years, and the owner and her know each other. That’s two different discounts.”

“That’s very generous already,” Inigo said kindly. “If those discounts are that steep, though, you could pay for an extra cabin yourself too.”

That wasn’t an option, and they both knew it.

Severa scuffed her shoe against the dock.

“Whatever. Like Camilla would even room with me if I did.”

So _that_ was the real problem. Severa looked so downtrodden that Inigo’s heart couldn’t help but pang with sympathy.

He touched her shoulder. It said something about Severa’s mood that she didn’t shrug him off.

“I didn’t realize you were even planning on making a move this week,” he said.

Severa looked away again. “Yeah, well. I don’t know. I just thought it would be convenient if...”

She trailed off. Inigo didn’t say anything for a moment, so she continued, “But _conveniently_ , Camilla and I are probably never going to get a moment’s peace together until we leave. I don’t think there’s room to pencil me in between Doting On Corrin Time and every game Elise wants to play every second of the day. So whatever. What’s done is done. I’m just venting.”

“Severa—"

“It’s whatever,” she said.

She was looking at her cabin. Inigo didn’t see anybody looking back.

He nudged her with his elbow, and Severa lifted her head, unimpressed.

“On the bright side,” he said, gesturing towards the water and the sky above, “think about how good we’ll look by the time we get home.”

Severa snorted. “Try not to turn into a lobster this time.”

“I have very sensitive skin!” Inigo defended. “I learn from my mistakes!”

“Uh-huh. You’re not touching my sunblock.”

“…If I make you some tea, will you let me use it then?”

“Pass.”

* * *

Owain leaned in close enough for the tip of his nose to brush the cool glass of the window. He squinted at the two figures on the dock.

“At long last, two fated rivals meet at the edges of the Lake of Lightening. Overhead, nary a cloud lingers in the azure skies. But in their hearts, a storm rages on. Electricity crackles between them, reflecting the water’s namesake. The tension of a building fight—a fight a long time coming. What’s this?”

Though the details of their expressions were lost in the distance between them, Owain watched as Inigo touched Severa’s shoulder.

“It seems the softhearted knight is trying to comfort his rival,” Owain mused. “Tragic, of course. Doesn’t he realize one cannot shrug off destiny’s hold so easily? Whether or not they desire it, the battle before them has already—”

“What are you talking about?” Leo asked, coming up from behind.

Owain jumped. He whirled around.

“Leo!” he said loudly. “Where did you come from?”

Leo looked back with an amused expression. “We’re sharing this cabin.”

“Right!” Owain put his fists on his hips and straightened. “I meant—I thought you were unpacking?”

“It doesn’t take that long to unpack.” Niles’s voice drifted out of the bedroom a moment before the man himself appeared. As he made his way over to Owain and Leo, he said, “Are you sure you don’t want to hang your clothes up too?”

His tone was light. Leo peered out the window towards the lake, but Owain knew he was listening too.

“Nah,” Owain said. “You guys already have your stuff in there. Better not to get all mixed up and have it be a problem later.”

“There’s room in the drawers, you know,” Leo said, looking back. “Niles and I are sharing just the one suitcase.”

Owain shrugged. “It’ll just be a hassle to cleanup later. I don’t mind living out of my bag for now.”

“If you say so,” Niles said.

“Anyway—” Owain squeezed past them both, aiming for the deck door. “Inigo’s here! I’ll be back in a bit.”

“If Inigo’s here, then Corrin is here,” Leo reminded him as Owain opened the door. “So we’re probably going to get together as a group in a few minutes, just so you know.”

“Got it!”

He definitely didn’t run away from the cabin. Because that would have been uncool. Owain very carefully kept his eyes ahead of himself as he rushed down to the dock.

Severa and Inigo almost certainly heard the crunch of grass underfoot as Owain approached them, but they didn’t turn in greeting until he was nearly upon them. By that point, they seemed to have wrapped up whatever they were talking about.

Inigo turned to Owain with a smile, but Severa still looked grumpy enough that Owain had to ask.

“Severa! What spell of gloom has ensnared you?” He raised his hands. “Hold still while I dispel this curse. Begone, evil magic!”

“Lame,” Inigo said, still smiling.

Severa didn’t so much as crack. Owain dropped his hands.

“Seriously, what’s up?”

Severa crossed her arms and frowned at him. “You’d know what was up if you’d look at your phone for once.”

“Oh,” Owain said. “So you’re still mad about the rooming situation?”

She pointed an accusing finger at Owain. “You _were_ reading my texts!”

“You texted Owain first and not me?” Inigo laid a hand over his chest in mock hurt.

Owain ignored him. “Duh. I was just busy.”

“If you have time to read, you have time to reply!”

“My front door is literally twenty feet away from yours. You can just come over if it’s that important.”

“You’re so obvious! And oblivious!”

Severa wasn’t mad—at least not _seriously_ mad, he thought—but Inigo stepped between them anyway.

“Now, now, there’s plenty of time to get feisty later,” Inigo said placatingly. “Severa, we’re both very sympathetic to your plight. Owain, you’ve been here longer than I have. How’s it been going?

“Great!” Owain said.

There was a pause as Inigo and Severa apparently waited for more. Owain wasn’t sure what to tell them.

“Really?” Inigo asked after a beat. “That’s it?”

“Yep,” Owain said. He was a little befuddled at their response. “It’s fine.”

“…Fine,’” Inigo repeated, staring.

Severa shifted her weight, looking at Owain in disbelief. “Really? Everything’s great?”

Owain glanced between the two of them. Overhead, the sun was very strong. The back of his neck was burning hotter by the minute.

“Are you guys trying to say something or…”

“So,” Severa said, “you’re going to pretend that last night you _didn’t_ send me a bunch of memes you made about what to do when you’re not sure if your friends are inviting you into a three-way or not.”

A burst of startled laughter left Inigo’s mouth, his eyes comically wide. “Holy crap, seriously?”

“They were terrible,” Severa confirmed.

Owain groaned with embarrassment and averted his gaze.

“Will you send those to me?” Inigo asked, ignoring Owain’s groaning. “I have to see this.”

Severa took out her phone. “Already done.”

“Seriously?” Owain yelped, lunging at her. “Those were sent in private!”

Severa took several quick steps back as Inigo stuck out his arms, physically blocking Owain off from Severa’s half of the dock. Owain tried to shove past him, but Inigo was slippery and light on his feet from years spent in various dance studios. When Owain tried to duck under his arm, he was quickly snagged around the torso.

“Severa!” Owain yelled.

He shoved at Inigo, struggling in his hold. They were evenly matched.

“Nothing is private in the world of technology!” Severa said over the sound of their struggle. Her fingers were tapping wildly on the keys.

“What about the world of friendship?” Owain said loudly.

Inigo grunted as Owain’s shoe made contact with his shin. They wobbled dangerously near the edge of the dock, arms wrapped around one another. Owain strained to grab Severa’s phone, which was in tantalizing proximity.

“Owain, you’re going to knock us off the dock!” Inigo complained. His knees knocked into Owain’s. They both hit the wood under them in a clumsy sprawl of limbs. “Ouch! Get off!”

“Let me go, and I’ll move!” Owain countered. There was a good chance they were going to roll off the dock and into the water at any second. He was more than willing to risk a mouthful of mud and algae to save himself the further embarrassment.

Inigo’s elbow hit Owain’s cheek. Owain’s knee hit something it definitely wasn’t supposed to.

“Ouch!”

“Let me go!”

“Stop squirming so much!”

“Done!” Severa tucked her phone back into her pocket before looking down at them. “I don’t know what you’re so mad about. It’s not a big deal.”

He was too late. Owain went slack in Inigo’s grasp. Inigo released him and cheered in triumph.

“Speak for yourself,” Owain grumbled.

“Oh, I’m using this as blackmail material forever,” Inigo said, detangling himself from Owain and standing up. “These pictures are going in the same folder as those Manual of Justice pages.”

Owain didn’t stand up immediately. He laid face first against the dock, defeated. “You’re both the worst.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about.” Severa sounded unimpressed. “At least those two will admit they like you to your face.”

The back of his neck grew even hotter. “They haven’t _said_ it.”

“But you know it,” Severa countered. “It’s the same difference. You’re making this more complicated than it needs to be. Just be happy with what you’ve got.”

“It’s not like that,” Owain said, pushing himself up onto his knees. “It’s just… “

He trailed off. Inigo and Severa peered at him curiously.

“What’s up?” Inigo asked, crouching back down so he was at eyelevel with Owain. “Something on your mind?”

Severa lingered just beyond Inigo’s shoulder with a look of thinly veiled concern.

“Yeah,” Owain said after a moment. He laid his hand on Inigo’s shoulder and squeezed, looking down at his feet. “It’s just…”

He dipped his head. Inigo leaned forward to listen. There were no obvious bulges in his pockets, Owain noted.

So Owain shoved him. Hard.

Inigo squawked as he fell onto his butt from the force of the shove. Severa quickly shuffled backwards to avoid being knocked off the dock by Inigo’s flailing limbs. They were both closer to the end of the dock than Owain.

In a flash, Owain was on his feet and sprinting towards Inigo’s cabin. Laughter laced his words as he shouted back, “You left your phone inside, right?”

“Owain!” He didn’t have to look back to know Inigo was chasing after him. Perhaps Severa too. “Get back here!”

“I know your passcode!”

“Don’t touch my phone!”

Severa shouted something after them that got lost in the wind. He dove towards Inigo’s back door.

* * *

Corrin let Elise tug them into the center cabin, listening raptly to their sister’s excited rambling. Elise didn’t hide how obviously she had been missing Corrin the past few weeks, nor how much she loved the cabin setup. Camilla followed right behind them, carrying Corrin’s bag with one hand.

They stepped through the front door and into an open kitchen setup. They didn’t linger there long, however. Elise quickly tugged Corrin through the kitchen, past the TV and L-shaped couches, and into a small side room.

“Here, here,” Elise said, finally releasing Corrin’s hand. “You and I can share this room!”

The room was longer than it was wide, Corrin noted. They were standing in what they suspected to be a last-minute addition to the cabin, probably for the sake of giving children a separate place to play while their parents slept in the more traditional bedroom. They didn’t mind the unusual configuration of the room, however. It was something different to experience.

Two standard twin beds had been pressed against both ends of the room. There seemed to be some storage space under both of them. For children’s toys, perhaps? Corrin didn’t know.

A tiny bedside table had been placed next to both beds, and squeezed between those was a thin wardrobe, which took up the remainder of space on the far wall. No other furniture could have been packed in there if somebody tried. All combined, there wasn’t much else in the bedroom. Elise and Corrin would almost certainly be sharing the wardrobe for their clothes.

A bed was a bed, though, and Corrin’s looked comfortable enough. They’d only be using it to sleep anyway. Corrin didn’t think they’d be spending much time there during the day. They didn’t mind the room at all.

“It’s lovely,” Corrin said to Elise, who perked up even more at the compliment.

“Is this all you brought?” Camilla asked, tilting her head curiously as she laid Corrin’s small travel bag on one of the beds. “It looks like you only brought clothes. What about anything to help you unwind?”

“It is mostly clothes,” Corrin confirmed. “I’m here to spend time with everyone. If I need to relax, I’ll just say hello to one of you guys.”

“How sweet,” Camilla said. “But I hope you brought at least a few extra things. It’s hot out there, and we wouldn’t want you to burn. And what about when you _do_ want to tan?”

“I’m sure I brought something for that,” Corrin said, although they couldn’t remember.

Camilla hummed. “You’ll just have to borrow something from Severa or myself if you didn’t.”

“Oh, speaking of that—you and Severa are sharing the other bedroom, right?”

Elise hadn’t pointed the master bedroom out yet, but Corrin had noticed the door on the other side of the living room. If Corrin and Elise had the kid room, no doubt Camilla and Severa had the master.

“That’s right,” Camilla said.

“We have single beds,” Elise chimed in helpfully, “but Camilla and Severa get to share the big bed!”

“Really?” Corrin asked. They hadn’t thought to ask about the bed situation very much before arriving. They’d been too excited to think about it, and they had trusted Xander and Camilla to take care of it for them. “You’ll be sharing a bed?”

“Oh?” Camilla raised a finger to her chin. “Do you want to room with your big sis? If that’s the case, I’m sure Severa won’t mind swapping with you.”

Elise made a disappointed sound. Corrin pulled her against their side in a one-armed hug, which Elise leaned into eagerly. “Don’t worry, Elise. I’m rooming with you.”

Elise cheered. To Camilla, Corrin said, “I wouldn’t ask you to change rooms. You’re probably off with the longer bed anyway.”

Camilla was taller than everyone except Xander after all.

“So thoughtful,” Camilla said—pleased, Corrin thought. “But don’t worry about me, dear. I don’t mind either way. So long as you’re here, I’m happy.”

Corrin smiled. They had wondered if Camilla would cling as much as she usually did when Corrin returned after time away, especially after having spent so much time with Hinoka and the others as of late. But it seemed Camilla was, at least for the moment, content with the fact the family would all be together for the next week with no expected interruptions. Corrin was glad of it. They were sure Camilla would ask to spend time alone together later at some point, but that was part of the point of everyone coming along. Corrin wanted to spend time with everyone before they left.

They caught up with Camilla and Elise while they unpacked. Severa was apparently out and about at the moment, so it was just the three of them in the cabin. Elise ooh-ed and ahh-ed in all the right places when Corrin recounted tales of what they had done while away—stories about learning archery from Takumi, drinking specialty tea with Sakura, tending horses with Hinoka, and hiking with Ryoma.

Camilla hummed when she heard that last one. “You know, I think there are a few hiking trails around here too. We could do some hiking of our own if you wanted.”

“Oh!” Elise jumped up. “That sounds like fun. We could explore! And play different games while we looked around!”

Corrin laughed.

“That sounds great,” they said. “We can do that tomorrow, if you guys want.”

“There’s still time in the day if you’d rather go now,” Camilla said, looking out the window to check how low the sun had fallen in the sky. She made a startle sound and covered her mouth with her hand. It sounded like laughter.

Corrin blinked. They joined Camilla at the window, shirt and hanger in hand, and looked out just in time to catch a blur of yellow, red, and pink topple over itself across the way.

It took a moment for Corrin to register the blurs as people. Severa, Owain, and Inigo were—wrestling each other? It was hard to say from a distance. At least it didn’t look too serious. It was a little hard to tell with those three sometimes, Corrin thought a bit worriedly.

“Are they okay?” Elise asked, peering through the window beside them.

Camilla cleared her throat. “Oh, I’m sure they’re fine for now. Severa can hold her own. Anyway, what were we talking about?”

“Going out to explore,” Elise said.

“Right. Corrin?”

It took a little effort for Corrin to tear themselves away from the window. It took another moment to remember what Camilla was asking.

“Oh! Right. Hm.”

Technically, there was still a little time to explore before dinner if they really wanted, but Corrin shook their head anyway.

“That’s alright,” they said, turning to hang up the shirt in their hands. They returned to their bag and grabbed another. “There will be plenty of time to do that sort of thing tomorrow. And the day after. Let’s try to settle down today first.”

“Okay,” Elise agreed, surprisingly easily. She scurried out of the bedroom to look at something Corrin hadn’t noticed.

Camilla helped hang the rest of Corrin’s clothes. “Are you feeling tired already? I should have asked earlier.”

“Maybe a little,” Corrin admitted. “But that’s alright. I would have wanted to spend today getting things sorted anyway. We’ll have more time to have fun later.”

There wasn’t much to sort out, truthfully. Not physically, anyway. Whether Camilla understood what Corrin was getting at or not, Corrin wasn’t sure, but she nodded in that knowing way of hers anyway. Her face was unreadable when as she pulled Corrin close. Corrin hugged her back.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Camilla said as she released Corrin. She walked out of the room, and Corrin saw her head towards the kitchen.

“Will do!” Corrin called after her.

Finally alone with their thoughts, Corrin finished unpacking.

* * *

After setting everything in its rightful place and shoving their now empty bag under their bed, Corrin left the cabin to go greet everyone else they hadn’t seen yet. Elise and Camilla joined them.

Once outside, Corrin had intended to go to Leo’s cabin first. But the tangle of limbs rolling around in the grass between Corrin and Xander’s cabins was too noisy not to pay attention to.

“They’re still fighting?” Corrin asked without thinking, blinking with surprise.

Just as Corrin had seen from their bedroom window some minutes ago, Severa, Inigo, and Owain were still rolling around on the grass in a mass of limbs too tangled to make sense of. Inigo looked like he had been shoving Owain’s face into the dirt at one point. Then, no, Severa was winning. Then everyone’s positions flipped, and Corrin wondered if there was anything akin to “winning” in the first place.

They couldn’t help but stare, Elise and Camilla doing the same beside them.

Camilla put a hand over her mouth, just as she had in the bedroom. “Oh my.”

“Are you wrestling?” Elise asked with a concerned look.

Finally, the trio seemed to notice them. All three of them froze and then quickly fell apart.

“Oof!” Severa shot to her feet. About half of her hair had fallen out of her pigtails Her clothes were ruffled, though not quite as dirty as Owain’s. “Camilla!”

“Oh my,” Camilla said again. “I’ll just leave you to… whatever it is you’re doing.”

Severa made several strangled noises in a row, like she had a lot to say but just couldn’t get the words out. Her cheeks had gone pink with exertion. Corrin couldn’t help but giggle from the awkwardness.

Elise asked, “What teams are you guys on?”

“Us against Owain,” Inigo joked from his spot on the grass. There was a streak of dirt on his cheek, and his own hair was a windswept mess.

They were all extremely ruffled, to put it kindly. There was grass in Owain’s hair and several new stains on Inigo’s shirt. Severa shoved her foot back into her shoe, which has started to fall off.

“He put up a good fight then,” Corrin said.

“Thank you!” Owain stood up. “I appreciate the praise! And I shall continue to fight on, since there is an item I am most interested in retrieving—”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Inigo, still sitting, wrapped himself around Owain’s knees and knocked Owain to the ground with a yelp. “Xander is working right now, and you’re not going to interrupt him just so you can—”

Cheek pressed against the grass, Owain said, “I wouldn’t have to interrupt him if you’d just give me your cell—”

“—crazy if you think I’m letting you near my phone—

Camilla sighed. “I suspect he’s heard you all by now, considering the noise you’re making.”

The two men didn’t seem to hear her. Severa quickly distanced herself from Owain and Inigo, who were once more wrestling in the dirt, and found a place next to Camilla. She undid one of her pigtails and started to comb through the messy locks with her fingers, forcing it into something resembling manageable again.

She was watching Inigo and Owain fight with a prominent frown, but her eyes didn’t look nearly as stern as Corrin thought they should have for someone pretending to look mad.

Severa must have been having some fun, Corrin thought, since she had been “fighting” with them in the first place.

Thankfully, even though Owain and Inigo were continuing the “fight,” as well, it clearly wasn’t serious for them either. Inigo was laughing between his words, and Owain’s smile was too big to fake. They were all having a good time. Corrin was relieved. A real fight would have been a bad way to start the day.

It went on like that for a while. Corrin and the others watched Inigo and Owain wrestle, entertained. Xander eventually came out to see what all the noise was about, and Owain and Inigo sheepishly apologized. Xander looked at them with vague disbelief before going back inside. By that point, Leo and Niles had made their way over as well, either curious about the noise or curious about what everyone was doing in general. They made a bit of a show ribbing Owain over how scruffy he’d become in the twenty minutes they’d taken their eyes off him. Everyone had laughed at that.

The afternoon dragged on. Everyone broke into their own smaller groups, and Corrin got the chance to catch up with everyone more or less individually. Eventually, they merged back into a large group again, lounging in the yard.

Eventually, Xander finished up whatever he was doing and came to join them. Elise roped them all into some modified version of tag as the sun set. Camilla played referee. Corrin’s cheeks ached with laughter by the end of it.

After a bit of cleanup and rest, they managed to sort themselves out enough to go to dinner at a place not too far off the highway. Corrin apologized to the waitstaff several times for requiring such a large table on short notice. Xander apologized for the volume of their voices. But even with the apologizes, Corrin—and everyone else too, they were sure—had a blast talking over food.

Owain and Elise ended up at the end of the table together, and when Corrin eavesdropped on their conversation, it was like they were speaking their own rambling language. It involved a lot of adjectives. Corrin, not at all up for the challenge, paid more attention to Severa’s snarky back and forth with Niles after that. It was quite entertaining. Leo and Camilla listened in as well with thinly veiled amusement.

At the other end of the table, Xander did a good job of keeping everyone more or less in line. Which, as far as Corrin could tell, meant he reminded everyone to quiet down when they got too loud. The low thrum of conversation never lasted long, however, and soon the group was as boisterous as ever.

Halfway through dinner, Inigo laid his hand atop Xander’s and whispered something to him, laughing under his breath. Corrin didn’t know what he said, but Xander didn’t warn them to mind the other customers—of which there were only two on the other side of the restaurant—so much after that, so they figured Inigo had convinced him it was a lost cause.

The sun had long since disappeared by the time they returned to the cabins. The drive to the edge of the camp grounds didn’t take very long, but finding their way through the winding paths on the property did. The signs were hard to read in the dark. Thankfully, with Xander in the first car leading the pack and Elise on the phone playing navigator, they only got turned around once.

Granted, the act of turning around turned into a fifteen minute long ordeal since the roads were thin. But still. Only once.

Through the phone speaker—because Elise had decided to call Xander after the first seven minutes of awkwardly edging the cars past each other—Corrin mentioned how surprised they were that Xander had been the one to get them lost.

Xander very evenly insisted that they weren’t lost.

In the background, Inigo laughed.

He had been laughing a lot this trip, Corrin noticed. Inigo had always been a cheerful guy, but it appeared to Corrin that he was smiling even more than usual. Inigo had no problems unwinding, it seemed, even if Xander had spent the first half of the day on the computer. That was probably a good thing, despite Xander’s embarrassed silence at the end of the line. Inigo and Xander hadn’t been dating _too_ long, but they were good for each other, Corrin thought.

Finally, they made it back to the cabin. Everyone decided to go their separate ways for the time being without much discussion. Corrin followed Camilla, Severa, and Elise back to their cabin.

Inside, Camilla made a comment about taking a long shower and headed to the bathroom. Severa automatically veered toward her and Camilla’s shared bedroom. Elise hopped onto the couch and flipped on the TV.

Corrin briefly hesitated behind the couch. It was the first time they were alone all day. Nobody else was watching them, and Elise was focused on the television.

With one last glance around, Corrin walked out the back door and onto the deck. It was a straight shot onto the dock from there.

They padded their way softly over the grass. When they made it to the end of the dock, Corrin sat down cross-legged, looking out over the water. There were barely any lights on around the lake, aside from the lit cabins behind them. Only one or two other cabins further down held any light. That was it. The surface of the lake looked like an inky mirror.

They really were alone out here, Corrin realized. With so many siblings and friends around, it hadn’t felt so lonesome during the day. But now the night was quiet, and there were only the songs of crickets and cicadas for company. Somewhere past the company of trees, there were presumably other campers staying in real tents on other campgrounds. Here, however, there was only Corrin.

They looked at the water, taking it all in. They wondered what their mother saw here. Their father.

There was beauty to behold for sure. But Corrin would never know their parent’s exact thoughts.

At least—they’d never know their _father’s_ thoughts.

They sat in the silence for a long while.

After some time, they heard a screen door open and shut. Corrin didn’t really register what that sound meant until new footsteps echoed on the wood of the dock. They lifted their head just in time to look back and see Elise coming over to greet them.

She came to a stop right next to Corrin. Her feet were bare.

“What are you doing out here?” Elise asked, peering down at them.

Corrin flashed Elise a smile before looking back across the lake. They weren’t disappointed Elise had come outside to join them. Not really. She was family, after all, and Corrin would never be _disappointed_ to see Elise, even after spending the whole afternoon together. But they couldn’t deny that being alone had been nice.

“Just thinking,” Corrin said.

“About what?”

Corrin debated not saying anything before deciding there was no point in lying.

“About my father,” they told her.

To their mild surprise, Elise instantly plopped down next to Corrin, eyes round with interest.

“What was your dad like?” she asked without preamble.

Corrin stared. All of her siblings had been supportive of their quest to learn more about their father, but none of them had outright _asked_ about him like that. Not in the way Elise did.

“You really want to know?” Corrin asked.

Elise stuck out her legs so her ankles hung out past the edge of the dock, over the water. She tapped her fingernail against the wood without any real rhythm—or perhaps in a rhythm only Elise could hear.

“Of course,” she said. “I know what _our_ dad was like. I want to know about _your_ dad.” She stopped tapping as she added, “Unless you don’t want to talk about him?”

Pleasure conquered surprise. Corrin smiled gently at their sister.

“Of course I don’t mind,” they said, looking out over the lake again. “I just… wish I had more to tell you.”

They saw Elise tilt her head out of the corner of their eye. “You don’t know _anything_?”

Corrin made a thoughtful sound.

“I know a few things,” they conceded. “My mother—Mikoto—filled me in on a lot of the details when I was visiting. It’s not the same as actually meeting my father, but I still know more than I did before. So I’m glad for that.”

“What kind of things did she tell you?”

Corrin mulled over what they wanted to say, sorting their thoughts. Strangely, it was easier now that they knew Elise was waiting for them.

Finally, they said, “He was a kind man. My mom said that a lot. He always doted on her. Whenever my mom wanted to do anything, my dad was always there by her side. They were almost never apart. Apparently they both knew from the start that they wanted to be together forever.”

“So they were happy!” Elise said. It wasn’t an unusual assumption to make, but she sounded delighted by it anyway.

Corrin could feel a smile forming on their face while they spoke. “They were. Especially after my mom became pregnant with me. She said it was the happiest she had ever seen my father. They were here when she told him, actually. She said that he couldn’t wait to go back to town and find a ring. He wanted to marry her that day. She said she had to talk him out of running to the nearest courthouse as soon as she told him the news.”

Elise was gaping beside her. “Your mom told your dad that she was pregnant _here_?”

“That’s part of the reason I wanted to come,” Corrin explained. They were on a roll now and couldn’t stop talking. “My mom said they were young and didn’t have a lot of money, so they didn’t get married right away. That was part of why they hadn’t gotten married earlier. They didn’t want to rush anything either. The most expensive thing they ever did was take a trip out to this lake every summer, even if it was just for the day. But when my dad found out my mom was pregnant, that all went out the window. A big wedding didn’t matter anymore. My mom said…”

Corrin trailed off, wilting. Elise didn’t seem to notice. She waited for Corrin to finish with bated breath.

They continued, “She said they couldn’t wait to be a family.”

“Wow,” Elise cooed. “That’s so romantic!”

She flopped back against the dock, blonde hair spilling out around her, and sighed happily. Corrin smiled at them again, though this time it felt more strained.

“Yeah,” they said. “Very romantic.”

Elise pushed herself up on her elbows. “Wait. What happened after that? They didn’t get married, did they?”

Corrin shook their head. This was where the hard part came in, though Corrin knew they were both already aware of how this story ended.

“No. They didn’t. My mother said…” Corrin played with the edge of their sleeve. “She said after she convinced my father not to run out and find a ring, they spent the evening together in one of the cabins.”

They gestured around the lake. Corrin didn’t know which cabin their parents had stayed in that night, but it didn’t matter. In all of their mother’s stories, the lake itself had mattered much more than any particular building.

“They went to bed, and in the morning, my father was gone.”

A cool, summer breeze blew over the surface of the lake. Corrin shivered.

“That’s _it_?” Elise said, voice booming in Corrin’s ear. She whipped upright. “Where did he go? What happened? I thought he wanted to get married?”

“He did!” Corrin hastily assured her. “He really did! My mom says so, and I believe her.”

Elise’s mouth had permanently fallen open. “So then what happened?”

Corrin shrugged.

“We don’t know. My mom said she woke up alone that next morning and thought my father had gone for a swim. So she got ready like usual, thinking he would come back later. Then, when he hadn’t returned by that afternoon, she thought he had gone into town to surprise her with a ring after all. So she waited and waited until…”

“Until?” Elise urged.

Corrin’s smile felt lopsided. “Until nothing. He never came back. And we never found out what happened.”

Elise deflated like the world’s saddest balloon.

“So he’s missing?” At Corrin’s nod, Elise said, “Wow. I never knew all that.”

“Neither did I,” Corrin said. “Not until a few years ago.”

A beat passed. Eventually, Elise spoke up again.

“And that’s why you wanted to come here? Because you want to find your dad?”

The chances of that truly happening were slim to none, so Corrin said, “Something like that. It’s more like… I want to learn more _about_ him. I want to put myself in my parent’s shoes. They came here every summer since they were teens. I wanted to see what it was like for myself.”

Corrin couldn’t look at Elise anymore. They looked at the lake instead. In the dark, the water seemed endless.

“I want to know what _he_ was like,” they said. “What were they feeling? What did they see here? Where did he go?”

A thick silence settled between them. Corrin wondered if the conversation had taken too heavy of a turn for Elise to handle and felt a bit guilty at the thought. However, they couldn’t deny how much better it felt to finally get all of that off their chest too.

“Corrin?” Elise said after a while of letting the crickets speak for them.

“Yeah?”

“What was your dad’s name?”

Corrin smiled again. It hurt less this time. “It was Anankos.”

Another breeze blew across the lake. Corrin had to push their hair out of their face to see Elise more clearly.

“That’s a nice name,” Elise said, looking thoughtful.

It was the most subdued they had ever seen her. “Thanks. I think so too.”

A second breeze blew by, stronger this time, and the lake rippled with unsteady waves. Goosebumps rose on Corrin’s arms. It was a warm night, but the wind was cool and they had to wrap their arms around themselves to keep from shivering outright. They should have worn pants.

“Brr!” Elise shook dramatically, hugging herself as well. “Why’s it so cold? Do you think we have hot chocolate inside?”

Corrin huffed with amusement. “Elise, it’s still summer.”

“So?” Elise rubbed her arms. “It’s still cold.”

Corrin felt their grin grow, the tension in the air lifting. “Good point. Let’s go inside and check with the others.”

Elise whooped.

Corrin pushed themselves to their feet and started walking back to the cabin with Elise. The solemn mood had already shifted into something lighter, but they still made a point to say, “Thanks for talking to me, Elise. I actually feel way better now.”

Elise wrapped herself around Corrin’s arm, nuzzling close to make up for the increasingly cooling air. Corrin wondered if a storm was blowing in.

“No problem!” Elise chirped against Corrin’s sleeve. “I’m always here for you! I’m glad we get to spend some time together this week, but it’s okay to talk to me about how you’re feeling too. And Camilla and Xander and Leo are here for you also!”

“Thank you,” Corrin repeated. Their chest didn’t feel as heavy as it had before.

A strong gust of wind almost made them stumble. They were halfway back to the cabin.

Elise suddenly dropped Corrin’s arm and ran for the deck.

“Race you!” she shouted, sprinting ahead. The wind whipped her hair around in a frenzy, and despite the chill, Elise was giggling.

Laughing along with her, Corrin gave chase.

* * *

Severa rolled onto her back. She stared up at a shape that might have been the ceiling fan.

Her cell was nearly dead. There was no extension cord, so she had to plug her phone into the wall and leave it there on the floor.

It was late. She was pretty sure Corrin and Elise had gone to bed a while ago, and yet Camilla was still out in the living room, TV on and volume set to mute. Severa could see the light flashing underneath the door. Camilla was probably playing on her phone, Severa thought. She could see it in her mind’s eye.

She imagined Camilla was waiting for her to fall asleep.

Maybe Inigo had been right to say Severa shouldn’t have been wishing for another cabin just for her and Camilla—that she should have been happy they were all on this trip at all, considering the cost. A sour taste had invaded her mouth when he’d said that. Severa knew she could be greedy, just like she knew she probably would have found something to complain about even if she and Camilla _had_ been given their own cabin. It was one of the many flaws people had generously pointed out to her over the years.

Besides, it didn’t matter that she and Camilla didn’t get their own cabin like Inigo and Xander. They were simply sharing a bedroom at the moment, and Camilla still didn’t want to be alone with her.

Camilla had probably planned it that way.

It wasn’t the luxury Severa craved. It was the privacy.

It was Camilla.

And she thought Camilla wanted her too. Probably.

Maybe.

Severa wrenched the pillow out from under her head and shoved it over her face, muffling the disgruntled sound she made. She pressed her face into the cotton and held her breath.

She wasn’t very good as keeping her heart off her sleeve. And Camilla wasn’t a dummy either, she reminded herself. If Camilla didn’t like the way Severa looked at her, she would have said something about it long ago.

In fact, on days when Severa felt bold and didn’t curse herself for reading too much into it, she thought Camilla looked at her the same way. Severa could criticize herself well enough, but she didn’t _entirely_ lack confidence. She had _eyes_. And ears too.

The things Camilla said sometimes—Severa _knew_ it wasn’t just in her head. Camilla almost certainly liked her too.

So they should have been in alignment. Severa liked Camilla, Camilla liked Severa, they both knew the other was into them—end of story.

It _should_ have been the end of the story.

But no.

Severa didn’t have the same _“oh, woe is me, somebody hot and successful is into me”_ problem that Owain did. _Two_ different people who fit that criteria were blatantly into Owain, and the only issue there was Owain’s uncharacteristic cowardice.

That was a baby problem. For babies. That wasn’t an adult problem—not a Severa Problem.

No, the _real_ problem here was that Camilla had a habit of playing her cards too close to her chest. That was the nicest way Severa could think to put it.

The bedroom door creaked open slowly, startling Severa out of her thoughts. She whipped the pillow off her face, lungs and cheeks burning for different reasons, and hastily shoved it back under her head. She rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping Camilla would believe she was asleep.

Maybe Camilla fell for it. Or, more likely, she noticed the super obvious way the bed shifted when Severa scrambled to feign sleep.

Camilla paused in the doorway for only a moment before softly stepping into the room. The door closed softly behind her.

Severa didn’t turn around or open her eyes. Every footfall and squeak of the floorboards under the carpet as Camilla tiptoed around the room echoed in her ears.

After a minute of doing whatever, the covers shifted and the mattress dipped. Camilla slid into bed next to her.

Severa desperately hoped the breath she took as Camilla settled in beside her wasn’t as loud as she thought. She waited anxiously for Camilla to say something, but she didn’t.

Eventually she came to the conclusion Camilla had fallen asleep.

Severa opened her eyes and looked at the wall, her back to Camilla. The bed had grown warmer with two people in it. Her thoughts swirled once more.

When Severa had asked Camilla what she thought about her, Camilla always said that Severa was adorable and reliable and all she could ever ask for.

Which felt good until Camilla inevitably tacked on a “Just like Beruka!” or “All of my friends are so dear to me.”

When Severa stood next to Camilla while they walked, their hands brushed a lot. Sometimes Camilla even wrapped her pinky around Severa’s own during a movie. Once or twice, they had even full-on held hands while walking down the street. Camilla never looked at her then, but the feeling of their palms pressed together had made Severa’s heart race.

And it would race and race until they came to the end of their walk or the movie, at which point Camilla would abruptly pull away and comment on how lovely it was to spend time with Severa, though now she had some business to attend to and absolutely had to go. That always startled Severa the most, even though it had happened plenty of times before. It was then that her heart would sink.

There were a hundred little things Camilla did to let Severa know she wasn’t interested without explicitly saying so. Camilla was tactful like that, even if she wasn’t necessarily kind.

And Severa would have let it go if Camilla wasn’t also doing a hundred and _one_ things to let Severa know that she actually was interested in her. Combing Severa’s hair, telling Severa how nice her mouth looked in that lip gloss, choosing to share a bed even though they could have just alternated sleeping on the couch—

Severa had even _offered_ to take the couch. Camilla had said no.

Camilla could have even pretended to have fallen asleep in the living room if she hated the thought of sharing a bed that much, Severa thought anxiously, adjusting the covers around her shoulders. There were dozens of excuses for them not to share a room at all, excuses that Severa had offered up on a silver platter before they left, and Camilla had taken none of them. And yet here they were, Camilla creeping into the bedroom late at night after she thought Severa had fallen asleep and strategically making sure she and Severa weren’t ever truly alone with each other during the day.

Somehow, Camilla always found a way to scramble every message she could possibly send Severa. With fervor.

It would have been one thing if Camilla didn’t feel anything towards Severa except friendship. It would have hurt, but not as much as being kept in limbo did. Severa could have accepted outright rejection.

But the lingering touches? The compliments that bordered on flirtation? Not taking Severa up on the excuses and then putting distance between them anyway? It was too much.

Severa _liked_ being around Camilla, but she didn’t just want to be the women Camilla could hold hands with, kiss on the forehead, and then leave hanging when Camilla decided she was done for the day. She was a person. Not a doll.

And she wasn’t sure how much longer she could leave things as they were.

Camilla must have had a sixth sense about that sort of thing, however, because every time Severa thought about speaking up, Camilla would do things, say things, to discourage Severa from pushing too hard.

Then, when Severa was suitably discouraged, Camilla built her back up. She told Severa how beautiful she was, how lovely, how perfect, how Camilla was so glad they met—making Severa’s head spin with whiplash in the process.

It was a cycle she couldn’t put up with for much longer.

Camilla might have had issues. Severa did too. Everyone in the world had problems. That didn’t give anyone an excuse for their bad behavior.

Severa didn’t plan on saying anything during this trip. Selfish as she knew she could be, she didn’t want to sour this vacation for anyone. Especially not for Corrin. This week was about them, not her.

But there was only so much Severa could take. When they returned to their daily lives and Camilla continued to try to keep Severa at arm’s length while still holding her hand—

Well.

Severa was still mulling that one over. But she’d definitely do _something_ to shift the balance one way or another.

Just for a split second, she thought she felt the barest brush of fingers against her neck. She hadn’t felt Camilla move at all in the last five minutes, however, so the touch had to be in Severa’s head.

She shivered anyway.

Behind her, Camilla continued to breath evenly.

Inevitably, Severa stared into the darkness far too long that night. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but the howling of the wind outside invaded her dreams.

* * *

Leo had been awake for less than an hour and reading for even less than that when the door to the deck opened up and somebody clomped inside with heavy feet. Niles was still in the bathroom, Leo knew, but even if he hadn’t been, Leo would have recognized those loud footsteps anywhere.

He looked up. “Good—”

Owain, shirtless and slick with sweat, raised in hand in greeting from the doorway. He wore a baggy pair of shorts, his running shoes, and not much else. He pushed his damp hair away from his forehead as Leo swallowed the rest of his sentence.

His mouth had run dry.

“Good morning,” Leo tried again, very thankful his voice did not crack this time. He looked back down and pretended to give the book in his lap his undivided attention.

“Morning,” Owain greeted, sounding a little out of breath. Leo didn’t look up, but he heard Owain noisily move past him to the kitchen.

The man wouldn’t have known stealth if it hit him in the face. Leo had never been so aware of another person’s presence before.

It was still early morning, but Leo had felt the blast of warm air when Owain had opened the door. It was no wonder why Owain was so sweaty. He jogged regularly, Leo knew, but the sun was already stretching its legs as well. Leo had no idea how long Owain had been gone. He had likely run for miles.

Though summer was nearing its end, it was still far from autumn. The days were still warm and muggy, especially this far south. Leo didn’t plan on leaving the cabin while the sun was out if it could help it. He despised sweat and exercise.

Owain, much to Leo’s chagrin, had no problems with either of those things. And he didn’t look half bad doing them.

Leo focused very hard on the page in front of him. The ink was blurring together.

It was an honest struggle to keep from turning around and sneaking another look at the man in the kitchen. Only through extreme self-restraint did Leo manage.

Unfortunately, Owain was completely oblivious to his dilemma. After a minute or so of messing around in the kitchen, he returned to the living room and leaned over the back of the couch, close enough that Leo could feel the heat radiating off him in waves. He smelled like sweat, which was a little gross, and also like Owain, which was not.

“What are you reading?” Owain asked.

If Leo looked up, he knew he’d see a still very shirtless Owain standing Right There, close enough to do something about.

Leo very determinedly kept his eye on the page. He heard the shower running in the background.

“It’s about how our brain often registers dangers that our consciousness misses until we reflect upon them later,” he said dryly. “I doubt you would like it.”

“Why not?”

Leo flipped the page, though he hadn’t registered reading a single word since Owain had entered.

“It lacks ninjas and magic,” he said.

In his ear, Owain laughed. Leo’s heart skipped a beat.

Things had been strange between them since their last one-on-one conversation. It had been strange between Niles and Owain too, but Leo knew that was because Owain registered them as a unit. In truth, it was Leo alone who had caused the real rift.

They had been circling each other just fine. Hesitantly drawing closer to one another, closer to something _more_.

And then Leo had gone and opened his big mouth over something he thought Owain had already known.

Owain had drawn back at that. Physically and metaphorically. Even Niles had not so slyly commented on how Owain had obviously avoided them after arriving yesterday and having spent most of the car ride over unconvincingly pretending to sleep. If this trip hadn’t been planned for weeks now, Leo wondered if Owain would have backed out of that too.

Now, this morning, it seemed Owain had gotten over Leo’s blunder. Or, more likely, his jog had simply put him in a good mood.

Leo couldn’t breathe until Owain straightened and rounded the couch, looking out the window facing the lake.

“Did you see that fog?” Owain asked.

“What was that?”

Leo put his thumb between the pages to keep place and reluctantly tore his eyes away from his book. When Owain gestured for him to stand, he set the book aside and told himself not to be such a teenager. He joined Owain at the window.

“Look,” Owain said, pointing.

It was an unnecessary comment. Leo could plainly see the fog Owain was talking about.

Gray mist curled around the surface of the lake and spilled into the back yard. If Leo walked off the deck, the mist would have easily reached his calves. He frowned at it.

“It’s covering the whole lake,” Owain said, stepping away. He walked towards the front windows, the ones that faced the road, and Leo followed. “The whole place is literally covered with a shroud. And there I was in the middle of it all, circling the water, an air of mystery and intrigue surrounding me—”

“Is it that cool outside?” Leo interrupted.

Owain recovered quickly. “Not really.”

They reached the front door, so Leo opened it. Just as it had felt when Owain returned a moment before, the air that blew into the cabin was warm with summer heat.

Traditionally, Leo knew, fog happened when warm air passed over cooler waters. And though it was still early, the sun had certainly risen enough to warm the lake up as well, if it had really cooled at all the night before. Somehow Leo doubted it had.

Strange, he thought, noting how the fog curled around the tires of the cars outside. Leo made a mental note to look at the local weather report later. He was no meteorologist.

“That is interesting,” Leo said, shutting the door, because it seemed that was what Owain wanted to hear. “It might be nice to cool off in the water later, before it gets too unbearable. For the others, I mean.”

The door to the bathroom opened.

“What’s this?” Niles stepped out of the bathroom, freshly dressed. Leo hadn’t registered when the shower had stopped running. “Leo, willingly going out into the sun?”

Leo hummed. “It would be nice for the _others_ , I said.”

“Come now,” Niles chided, finally close enough to slip a somewhat damp arm around Leo’s shoulders and kiss him on the cheek. “Owain and I could always take turns lathering you with oil.”

“You mean sunblock,” Leo said.

“That’s neither here nor there.”

Owain laughed. Despite his displeasure at the warm days ahead of him, Leo couldn’t help but feel emboldened by the sound. Owain really _was_ happier today. Maybe their conversation from the other day was behind them.

But when Leo caught his eye, smiling, he saw Owain’s expression drop. Owain hastily averted his eyes.

Leo’s felt his face fall as well, mirroring Owain. He didn’t miss the way Niles watched the both of them with a careful look.

The whole exchange took less than a second, and yet Leo could feel the way the air had shifted anyway.

“What’s the plan for today then?” Niles said smoothly, cutting through the tension. “Did we decide already?”

Owain shook his head and stepped back. “Not yet. You guys can talk about that if anyone else is up yet. I’ll take the next shower.”

“It’s free,” Niles said, tipping his head.

“The morning awaits us. I shall perform my ablutions with haste!”

His tone was energetic enough to be normal. Leo wouldn’t have registered the lingering awkwardness if he hadn’t seen it on Owain’s face a split second before.

Owain went to the bathroom. Leo and Niles watched the door shut in silence.

Once they heard the shower running, Niles pulled Leo closer. “Tell me again what you said to him?”

“I already told you,” Leo said tersely, looking out across the yard so Niles wouldn’t see the guilt in his face, although he probably noticed it anyway. “I mean to apologize. He just won’t sit still long enough to have a real conversation.”

“We should probably be quick about it then,” Niles said. “I’m getting tired of this mood already.”

The mood Leo had brought on them with his big mouth. “I know. I’m working on it.”

“And here I thought things had been going so smoothly before.”

“It’ll be fine,” Leo said, because this was still fixable. He’d make sure of it. “Patience is a virtue.”

“ _Well_ ,” Niles purred, his voice taking a different tone. Apparently he’d decided Leo had gotten his fill of chiding. He dipped his head so his lips grazed Leo’s ear. “Perhaps I’m not feeling particularly virtuous this morning.”

Leo stole a quick glance out the window again, but it was still relatively early. Everyone else was likely still asleep. Owain would be in the shower for little while. They had a few minutes to themselves.

“Is that so?” Leo asked lowly, turning his head so their noses brushed. Their lips were deathly close. “Perhaps I could teach you a few lessons about that then.”

“Be my guest,” Niles said against his mouth. He hadn’t yet shaved.

By the time Owain got out of the shower, Leo’s cheeks were pink with stubble burn.

* * *

Admittedly, it had been a while since Xander had gotten out of the office.

Inigo might have teased that he hadn’t _truly_ left the office since he had brought so much work to the lake with him. It was necessary, but perhaps Xander could admit there being some truth to that all the same.

Everyone called Xander a workaholic. Camilla had even made more than a few pointed comments in the past about how everyone came to _her_ with their troubles since their unapproachable big brother was always too busy to listen.

That definitely wasn’t true. Xander was never too busy for any of his siblings. But if they each had their role to play, so be it. He was glad to be here with them now.

Listening to his family laugh and chat as they walked along the trails on the property more than made up for all the headaches he and Camilla had endured to ensure everyone would be able to take this trip together. Everyone had different schedules to balance, after all, on top of Xander and Camilla’s normal obligations. They’d gotten it done in the end, however.

Xander led the front of the group without a particular direction or plan in mind. They stomped loudly through the woods, every now and again catching glimpses of the other campsites along the way. He spotted a lot of RVs and tents, though there were the occasional glimpses cabins that vaguely resembled their own. They were all quite some ways from area that Xander and the others were staying at, of course.

The walking trail the group was wandering along consisted less of flat dirt and more of thick tree roots that jutted up through the hard packed earth. Elise had stumbled more than once with a whoop and a cartwheel to right herself, to the point where Leo and Camilla had already warned her about twisting her ankle. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the walk nonetheless.

“So?” Inigo asked. He’d fallen away from Xander’s side and sunk into the middle of the group some minutes ago. Xander listened without turning his head. “Is this everything you dreamed of?”

“Yes and no,” Corrin said. “Being here… It feels unreal. My parents used to walk these trails all the time, apparently.”

“You’re literally following in their footsteps.”

“I really am.” The pride was audible in Corrin’s voice.

“That’s wonderful.” Somebody kicked a rock, and it bounced among the roots. “What other sorts of things did Mikoto say she did out here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“A lot of stargazing, I think,” Corrin answered. “Apparently they liked to swim in the lake a lot too.”

Inigo made a sound of acknowledgement. “It is a beauty, isn’t it? Why don’t we all do that later then?”

“What, after we get back?”

“Sure,” Inigo said. “Or tomorrow, if you prefer. We’re on no set schedule.”

“Oh!” Elise suddenly chimed in. Xander heard her light footsteps as she made her way closer to the front of the group. “Did you say swimming? That sounds like fun!”

“I wouldn’t mind a dip right about now,” Camilla added, suddenly closer as well. “It is rather humid out here, isn’t it? Swimming sounds like the perfect opportunity to cool off.”

“Definitely,” Severa agreed, overlapping with Leo’s, “Please.”

Even with the shade overhead, Xander knew his brother well enough to know how miserable Leo must have felt in the heat already. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed Leo was the sweatiest and most uncomfortable looking of the group by far.

Swimming sounded like a plan for later then. For the others, at least. Xander didn’t begrudge them. His swimming skills were the fault of no one besides himself. It would give him an opportunity to check his emails again anyway.

“A marvelous idea!” Owain said, twigs snapping underfoot. Then he said a lot of other things Xander didn’t care to listen to because Inigo had snuck back to the front without his noticing, slipping his hand into Xander’s own.

“You’re awfully quiet up here,” Inigo commented, titling his head up to look at Xander’s face. Behind them, the conversation continued as normal. Niles said something that had Severa blustering. “Any particular reason for that?”

“Just listening,” Xander said truthfully.

Inigo’s soft smile—more genuine than the big grins he often wore, Xander secretly thought—mimicked Xander’s own.

“Any thoughts, Mr. Leader?”

“None in particular,” Xander said. “Swimming is a good idea.”

“Really?” Inigo’s smile dipped slightly. “Even though you can’t swim?”

Xander’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. He hadn’t realized Inigo would remember that. Perhaps his surprise said something more about Xander than Inigo.

“Of course,” he said. “We are staying at a gorgeous lake, after all. I imagine swimming is part of the appeal for most people. It’s unavoidable.”

He was using a more general “we.” There was no chance Xander would do more than stick his ankles in the water anytime soon.

“I suppose,” Inigo conceded. He looked ahead, but Xander felt Inigo squeeze his hand.

He didn’t feel left out at all, but he appreciated the concern. He told Inigo as much.

The tips of Inigo’s ears went pink at the compliment, Xander noted with amusement. It wasn’t because of the sun.

“Can’t a man show a little concern for his boyfriend?” Inigo sniffed. “If everyone’s going to swim anyway, then it’s not a big deal for me to keep you company on land.”

There was an implication to his words. One Xander wasn’t entirely opposed to, but he did have to say, “I’ll probably be doing work most of the time, you know.”

Inigo shrugged. “Then I’ll read a book next to you while we watch everyone else get a sunburn. It’ll be great.”

Xander melted slightly at that. Six months was not that short a time at all. And yet he still wasn’t quite used to hearing Inigo say things like that so plainly.

It was different, being the one who was looked after. Xander was still getting used to it. He’d been the eldest, the one who took charge, his whole life. Never had he even considered a romantic relationship until recently, too caught up in business and ensuring his family was taken care of. Nobody had caught his eye until recently either. Until Inigo. And at first he had thought himself foolish for falling for a man so seemingly fickle.

Every day, Inigo found a new way to prove that first impression wrong.

“I appreciate the offer,” Xander said again, “but don’t keep yourself from having fun on my account.”

Inigo bumped their shoulders together as they walked.

“I have fun with you too,” he said.

“Really?” Xander barely suppressed a smile. “I seem to recall a few particular comments you made to me the other day. I do believe ‘boring’ and ‘a stick in the mud’ were among them.”

Inigo coughed. “I don’t recall that at all. You should get that memory checked out.”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Xander said.

He was very happy to report that Inigo did not let his hand go for the rest of the hike.

* * *

Thankfully, Severa had come to this vacation prepared.

“Yes!” she crowed, throwing open the deck door and stepping out into the sun, towel tucked under her arm. “Let’s get this party started!”

Corrin and Elise were already testing the waters. As soon as the group had returned from the hike, the siblings had run into their room and grabbed their swimsuits. Elise’s one-piece was pretty cute, Severa noted, while Corrin had tossed a swim shirt over their normal swimsuit to keep the sun off their shoulders. Which was smart, as the full heat of the afternoon now loomed overhead.

Severa almost envied Corrin’s choice. She sometimes liked to rely on a little extra protection on particularly strong days too; it was too easy for sunblock to wash off when a person was splashing around in the water, no matter how “water-resistant” companies liked to advertise their products. But a wet t-shirt look wasn’t what she was going for today, and Severa needed the tan. So regular sunblock would have to do for now.

Besides—she lowered her sunglasses and squinted at the light glinting off the surface of the lake—something about the water didn’t seem to welcoming anymore, despite the clear sky overhead. Sticking to dry land seemed more appealing at the moment.

Elise dipped her toe in the water and then launched herself off the end of the dock. The colorful, polka dot innertube Xander had apparently thought to bring encircled her waist. The thin strap of her goggles was almost entirely swallowed by the thick waves of her hairline.

Corrin yelped with laughter and delight as Elise’s splash hit their legs. They quickly jumped in after her.

Severa didn’t see Niles, Leo, or Owain, so she figured they were still getting changed. Or convincing Leo to actually come back outside after going over his limit of two-hours of sunlight per day.

If that was the case, they’d be inside for forever. She vaguely remembered Niles calling out “Don’t wait up for us!” over his shoulder when everyone had parted ways to get ready to swim after deciding what to do for lunch, so she was taking that recommendation to heart.

Speaking of lunch—

When she peered around the corner of the house, Severa could see Inigo standing in his own bathing suit near the cars. He was leaning up on his tiptoes to give Xander a goodbye kiss.

Xander had kindly volunteered himself to go pick up everyone’s to-go order from a local restaurant in town. Inigo had offered to go with him, but Xander had declined. Apparently Inigo still felt the need to wish him best of luck for what was likely going to be a forty-minute round trip anyway.

If Inigo had been looking at her, Severa would have pretended to gag. She told herself she was just grossed out that a flirt like Inigo had a steady boyfriend, though she didn’t truthfully believe it. She knew she was jealous it wasn’t her kissing Camilla goodbye instead.

“Aren’t you excited?” Camilla asked, coming up beside her. She had her own towel under her arm, mirroring Severa, and a plastic container of something in hand. “I had no idea you liked swimming that much. We could have done this yesterday if you wanted.”

Camilla’s swimsuit was impeccable. Severa, suddenly grateful she had taken the time to freshen up in the bathroom before coming out, had to force herself not to stare. She looked down, averting her eyes.

The sheer, lavender cloth wrapped around Camilla’s waist like a flowing skirt was even more enticing that her top, Severa realized with despair. Her head felt like it was going to explode. She didn’t stand a chance.

“I always love swimming when it’s eight billion degrees outside,” Severa managed to say after a beat. “And we already worked up a sweat already. Why not wash it off?”

Camilla hummed. “I suppose. I must admit I’m not that into the idea of swimming in a lake, however. This is my first time near a body of water that isn’t the sea or my bathtub.”

“So, what, you’re not getting in?”

Camilla shaded her eyes with her free hand, looking out across the water.

“Perhaps. I think I’ll tan a little first, however.” She gave Severa a sidelong look. “You should join me.”

That suited Severa just fine.

“Sure,” she said as smoothly as she could, despite the fact she suddenly couldn’t swallow. “Sounds like a plan.”

They made their way down to the dock in companionable silence. Camilla’s hair seemed just as shiny and coifed as it had before they’d left for their hike that morning, which should have been impossible. Severa’s own hair had gone limp in the heat. Next to Camilla, Severa knew she couldn’t really compare, but she hoped her hurried freshening up had given her a step up from the sweaty mess she’d been that afternoon.

At the head of the dock, where wood met dirt, Camilla laid down her towel and dropped the bottle of what Severa could now see was sunblock next to it.

Camilla cupped her hands around her mouth. “Elise! Corrin! I hope you’re wearing sunscreen!”

Out in the water, Corrin and Elise yelled back an affirmation. Pleased, Camilla settled herself on top of her towel. Severa settled down next to her.

“Be a dear, would you?” Camilla held out the sunscreen bottle.

Severa’s throat went even tighter. “Sure.”

She took the bottle. Camilla turned around.

Swift footsteps were the only warning Severa had before Inigo ran down the dock, squeezing between Camilla and Severa in a flash. Astonishingly, he managed not to step on either of them, but Severa had half a mind to throw the sunscreen bottle at his head anyway. Especially after he turned his head and winked at them before jumping into the water.

The splash came nowhere close to hitting Severa and Camilla. When Inigo surfaced, Severa still yelled, “Watch where you’re going!”

Inigo swam around the end of the dock so he was more visible and waved. “You ladies look lovely in those swimsuits! Is that one new, Severa?”

It was a new suit. Severa had specifically bought her bikini with Camilla in mind. Her face grew hot at Inigo’s obliviousness.

“None of your business!” she snapped.

“You look positively lovely in it!”

Beside her, Camilla smiled at Inigo. The curve of her lips seemed sharper than usual. “What a tongue you have, Inigo. Do you give my brother such compliments?”

Inigo laughed nervously. “I try! Oh, look at that! I’ll just be over here then…”

Severa felt more than grateful when Inigo swam away in the direction of Elise and Corrin. She’d expected him to press his luck for longer.

“What a sweet talker he is,” Camilla commented. She didn’t sound entirely complimentary.

Severa crossed her arms with a huff. “Yeah, he’s got a big mouth. But at least we’re alone now.”

That was true. Niles, Leo, and Owain still hadn’t appeared. Everyone else was either in the lake, gradually floating further and further away from the dock, or on the road like Xander. Severa and Camilla had been left alone to sunbathe.

Alone together. Finally.

“That we are,” Camilla agreed.

Something inside Severa shifted unpleasantly. She couldn’t read Camilla’s tone.

“Anyway!” she said too loudly to make up for the awkward feeling in her chest. “Let’s get this sunblock on before we start to burn for real!”

Camilla looked at her, eyes softening. “You’re always so sweet. Be a dear, would you?”

She turned before Severa could reply, presenting her back and pulling her hair over her shoulder so it was out of the way. Severa squeezed a sizable dollop of sunblock into her hand and began to apply it to Camilla’s skin. She tried not to let her hands linger anywhere they shouldn’t have.

Camilla shivered at the first contact.

“Too cold?” Severa asked.

Her hair was obscuring her face, but the tone in Camilla’s voice was unmistakable when she replied, “No. Just right.”

Severa flushed. She blamed it on the sun.

She applied a generous layer of sunscreen to Camilla’s back and shoulders. The thin string of Camilla’s bikini seemed like it would unravel at any moment, so Severa tried not to touch it. Inexplicably, it held together. She got through coating Camilla’s back as fast as she could without being negligent.

“There,” she declared when she done. Her hands were greasy, but she felt good about the fact Camilla wasn’t going to burn on her watch. “All finished.”

“Thank you,” Camilla said, settling back on her towel so she could face the water. “I can do the rest.”

“Of course!”

Severa looked down and squeezed a little more sunblock in to her own hand, preparing to start on her own arms.

Without warning, Camilla’s hand covered her own. She scooped the sunscreen out of Severa’s palm and into hers.

“Please, let me,” she said.

Severa’s fingers tingled where Camilla had touched them. She wiped the excess sunscreen onto her thigh.

“Okay,” Severa said, amazed her voice was still even. She presented her back to Camilla, thankful her hair was still tied up so it wouldn’t get in the way.

She managed not to shiver when Camilla started delicately rubbing the lotion into her skin, but goosebumps did break out over her arms. Thankfully Camilla didn’t comment on them.

Camilla rubbed sunscreen on Severa’s shoulders and down her back. Her hands seemed to linger around Severa’s shoulders and waist for longer than they should have. Pleased, Severa didn’t call her out on it either.

“Your skin is so gorgeous,” Camilla commented as she worked. “It would be a shame to see you peel.”

Severa cleared her throat. “You too.”

“Oh?” Camilla’s voice suddenly seemed closer. Practically in Severa’s ear. “What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

This time, Severa did shiver.

“Nope,” she said. Her voice wavered. “Just peachy.”

“Really?” The tip of Camilla’s nail ghosted the curve of Severa’s spine. Her voice was sultry. “Are you sure?”

Severa’s breath hitched.

This was it. The invitation she had been waiting for. _This_ was what Severa had wanted since that first day—since the first day at the lake and the first day Severa realized she was in love. She wanted Camilla, open and honest and all to herself.

Maybe she only had Camilla to herself at the moment. They weren’t being open and honest yet.

But Severa could change that. This was an opportunity.

She licked her lips. “Camilla, there’s something I want to—"

“All done!” Camilla announced, pulling away.

Severa blinked and turned back to face her in surprise. “What?”

Camilla shook the mostly full bottle of sunblock between them. “I’m finished. Don’t forget to lather your chest and legs too. You’ll get such an awkward tan otherwise.”

“I—"

Elise’s loud laugh echoed across the lake. Severa couldn’t help the way her shoulders jumped at the sound. The tension in the air, once thick, shattered like a sledgehammer hitting a mirror.

Camilla had already begun rubbing sunscreen on her own chest and neck. She’d placed the bottle on the dock and was now humming loudly, as though she didn’t see Severa sitting there, staring at her.

She always did this, Severa thought. Her chest constricted. How foolish to think Camilla had actually been inviting something this time.

Lamely, she took the bottle.

“Thanks,” Severa said flatly.

She thought very long and hard about dunking her head in the water and drowning herself. Tanning with Camilla won out in the end—though only just.

* * *

Corrin relished the refreshing feel of the lake against their skin. Already the fine layer of sweat they had worked up during their hike had washed away.

“Inigo!” Elise waved from her innertube. She draped herself over one side of the innertube so heavily the opposite side slightly lifted off the water. “Did Xander leave already?”

“Yep,” Inigo said, swimming over to them. Corrin had watched him jump from the dock out not a minute before. “He’ll be back in a flash! And then we can all eat lunch together.”

“Yay!” Elise clapped. “We can all have fun until then. Where’s Leo?”

“Inside, I think,” Inigo said.

Corrin looked toward the cabins, but except for Severa and Camilla on the shore, there wasn’t a stir of movement. There wasn’t even anybody else in the lake, period. The only other cabin nearby that Corrin thought had been occupied when they left for their hike that morning now appeared empty. The unfamiliar car Corrin had spotted earlier was gone. If they hadn’t known better, they would have assumed Leo, Niles, and Owain had disappeared as well.

“I don’t think Leo is coming,” Corrin said after a moment of contemplation. They looked up at Elise, who had the advantage of height when she leaned over the side of her innertube. “You know how he gets about too much sun.”

Elise groaned dramatically. “Aw! And I bet Owain and Niles won’t come out if Leo won’t!”

“Probably,” Inigo agreed with a gentle smile. “But we’ll see. They may surprise us yet.”

Elise pouted for a moment. She looked between the cabins, where Xander’s car had once been visible.

“Xander can’t get in the water either,” she said. “How come he never learned how to swim?”

Her question was directed to Corrin, but they didn’t have an answer.

“I’m not sure,” Corrin said carefully. They glanced at Inigo, who shrugged. “Maybe he just never had the right teacher?”

“Maybe you could start to teach him, Elise,” Inigo suggested.

She perked up instantly. “Oh, maybe! I can ask him when he gets back with lunch!”

“After we eat,” Corrin agreed.

“Camilla! Severa! Camilla!”

They were still within shouting distance of the shore, but Elise took it upon herself to yell and wave until Camilla took her sunglasses off with exaggerated movement and called back, “Yes?”

“You guys should get in the water and swim with us!” Elise shouted.

Severa’s mouth moved, but her words weren’t loud enough to be heard.

Camilla barely dipped her head in Severa’s direction before she called back. “Perhaps in a little while! Severa and I are just resting up first!”

Elise pouted again but didn’t persist. Her hands dropped back into the water with a little splash.

“That’s alright, Elise,” Corrin said, holding on to Elise’s innertube so they didn’t waste so much energy trying to stay afloat. “We have all week to swim together. They’ll get in when they’re ready.”

Elise laid her cheek against the plastic of the innertube. “I know. But what kind of games can we do with just three people?”

“Swimming is pretty fun on its own, you know,” Corrin reminded her. “And they might change their minds after lunch.”

When it appeared Elise still didn’t agree, Inigo swam closer and said, “Don’t worry. There’s still plenty of fun to be had by ourselves.”

“Like what?” Elise asked.

“Like this.” Inigo darted forward and tapped Elise’s forehead. “Tag! You’re it!”

Elise immediately swiped back at him, but Inigo was too fast. He sank under the surface of the water and popped up again just out of reach.

“You’ll have to be better than that!” he said playfully.

“We’ll see about that!” Elise said. She was smiling and looked excited. Coming from Elise, the feeling was instantly contagious.

Corrin gestured to Inigo. “Aren’t you going after him?”

For some reason, Elise looked even more pleased by the question.

“I don’t have to,” she said.

Corrin’s first mistake was not realizing the game included them too. Their second was being close enough to touch.

Elise tapped Corrin on the head and then, taking a page out of Inigo’s book, raised her arms and sank through the hole of her innertube before Corrin could move, disappearing under the water. She surfaced again a little further away, opposite of Inigo.

Corrin made sure Elise had cleared the water out of her eyes before they pushed away from the now empty innertube and said, “Very sneaky, Elise!”

“Now, now!” Inigo interjected. “That was perfectly in line with the universally understood rules of tag!”

“You’re it!” Elise said gleefully.

Corrin looked between them, weighing their options with joy. Elise’s abandoned innertube now floated nearby, slowly moving this way and that every time one of them splashed in the water. They’d have to make sure it didn’t go too far.

For now, however…

“Prepare yourselves!” Corrin shouted before feinting at Elise. Elise squealed with laughter as Inigo swam away.

The game was on.

Eventually, Corrin managed to tag Elise, who was not very fast in the water. Corrin thought Inigo took pity and let himself be tagged by her in return, but they couldn’t be sure. Then it was Corrin’s turn again. Around and around they went, dodging and diving and laughing as they played.

They took a few breaks as well. It had been a while since Corrin had swam anywhere that wasn’t a pool, where they could climb out and sit on the sidelines anytime they needed. Elise had brought her innertube for that exact reason. It was a good thing she had, too. Corrin and Elise called for a time-out more than once so the three of them could each cling to a portion of the tube and catch their breath.

Inigo seemed to struggle the least. Probably because he worked out so much while dancing, Corrin thought, breathing heavily against the innertube. They wondered if it was worth it to take up a sport of their own.

In the end, Inigo only called for a timeout once—when he accidentally splashed Corrin in the face and they choked on a mouthful of water.

“Okay, okay, pause!” Inigo said while Corrin coughed. It would have been much easier to catch their breath if they could also stop laughing. “Are you alright? Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Corrin waved him off.

“Y—” They coughed. “Yeah, I’m alright. No harm done.”

“Still,” Inigo said. He flashed them a half smile.

Elise was drooping in the water, and her movements were getting slower. Corrin and Inigo watched her doggy paddle for the innertube. Now, after playing tag for some time, they had all begun to migrate back to the innertube without speaking.

Suddenly very tired, Corrin back looked toward the cabins. Too caught up in playing to notice, they had drifted further from the shore than Corrin had realized. Camilla and Severa were just little specks of purple and red on the dock. Corrin wondered if Severa and Camilla would hear if they shouted.

“What do you say about calling for another break?” they asked, looking back at Inigo and Elise. “I’m sure Xander will be back soon. We should dry off before we eat.”

It felt like their game of tag had drawn to its natural end. Though it hadn’t been that long since they started, Corrin’s limbs felt heavy with fatigue. Even Inigo’s shoulders seemed to be sagging more in the water.

If the other two hadn’t been there, Corrin thought, they could have easily allowed themselves to simply float on their back for a while. They had to fight to keep their eyelids from drooping. Had they really been playing for so long?

“Heading back sounds good,” Inigo said, clinging to the side of the innertube with Corrin.

Finally having made it to the floatie herself, Elise swam under it and popped back up in the center. Her goggles were missing from the top of her head when she came back up.

“Okay,” Elise said. She was leaning on the inflated plastic heavily. “Let’s go back.”

Corrin pointed to their own head. “Elise, your goggles.”

Elise’s hands flew to her forehead. All she found there was a tangle of wet hair. Her lips parted with surprise. “Oh, no!”

Corrin opened their mouth with an offer to search for the goggles, but Inigo beat them to it.

“Never fear,” he said. “I’m always here to help a girl in need.”

He winked playfully before diving under the water.

“Thank you!” Elise said even though Inigo wasn’t there to hear it.

Corrin looked at her sympathetically. “I hope he finds them, but you should be prepared if he doesn’t.”

Elise peered over the rim of her floatie.

“It _is_ pretty murky down there,” she admitted regretfully.

Corrin adjusted themselves against the side of the innertube, kicking their legs idly. “Inigo probably needs goggles of his own to find them. Sorry, Elise.”

Elise hummed in agreement.

A beat passed. Then another.

“Wow, he must be able to hold his breath for a long time,” Elise commented.

Corrin shifted, their wet skin of their wrist catching on the warm plastic of the innertube. They glanced towards the shore, where Severa and Camilla still sat so very far away.

“Just give him a second,” they said.

More than a few seconds ticked by. Corrin felt Elise shift as well.

“Corrin?” Elise said.

Corrin turned away from the innertube, eyes focused on the surface of the lake. Aside from Corrin and Elise’s movements, the water didn’t ripple. There were no bubbles. Still, a sense of unease lingered in the air. Without quite understanding why, every beat of Corrin’s heart in their chest felt like another grain of sand in an hour glass, slipping away. The lethargy they’d been feeling faded as nerves took over.

A beat passed. Another.

“Be right back,” Corrin said quickly. They sucked in a deep breath and dove under.

Corrin had only swum in a few different pools in their lifetime, but none had been nearly as deep as the lake they were in now. Nor had they ever ventured very far from the shore the scant few times they visited the beach. The sheer _depth_ of the lake surprised Corrin when they forced their eyes open and realized they couldn’t see the bottom. The water was darker than any pool’s, and they didn’t see Inigo right away.

Their heart pounded anxiously in their chest as they looked around. Bits of green floated in Corrin’s vision among the dark—algae.

They dove down.

With every stroke that took them further from the surface, there was a little less light to see by. Corrin squinted blurrily through the water. Further down, they could just barely make out the dark shape of stringy plants twisting gently in a current Corrin couldn’t feel. They had to be closer to the bottom than they realized, Corrin told themselves. Their chest had begun to burn. They forced themselves deeper down.

It was a big lake, but it was hard to see through the filter of algae and lack of sunlight. Inigo could have been anywhere, they realized with a jolt, turning their head this way and that. Everything was black and green. Inigo could have been swimming a few feet in any direction, and there was a good chance Corrin wouldn’t see him.

Corrin told themselves that Inigo might have come up for air already. That they might not have noticed him swim by.

Their chest burned a little more. A warning.

Corrin swam up. Had the surface always been so far away?

They breached the surface with a gasp, rubbing the water out of their eyes. They coughed and twisted around in the water, but only Elise looked back at them. No Inigo.

They felt sick.

“Corrin?” Elise said, this time very anxiously.

Corrin shook their head anxiously. They sucked in a few quick breaths, ignoring the burn in their chest, and dove down, down, _down_.

Once underwater, they barely resisted the urge to open their mouth and call Inigo’s name, realizing at the last second how stupid that would be. Panic had begun to sink its cold nails around Corrin’s throat. Their eyes flew this way and that, searching frantically for Inigo.

They couldn’t see anything. It was just dark water and the occasional fleck of loose algae everywhere they looked.

Corrin forced themself deeper into the darkness, further down and away from Elise. Heart pounding, stomach twisting, a knot forming in their throat—

 _There_. A flicker of movement in the black.

Corrin swam closer. Faint, sickly rays of sunlight danced overhead.

It _was_ Inigo, they realized with relief as they approached the bottom of the lake. He was curled over amongst thick clumps of green and brown seaweed, tugging at something near his leg, but he was _alive_. Though not for long, Corrin realized, their relief morphing into dread.

How long had Inigo been down here? A full minute? Longer? Inigo had good lungs, but he still needed to _breathe_.

Corrin needed air already. Inigo definitely needed it more.

There was no time to spare. Inigo jerked away from whatever he was fiddling with, slapping his hands over his mouth, every motion slowed by the water. Inigo’s His face had taken on the sickly green look of the water around him.

Inigo’s eyes were screwed up terribly from the force of holding his breath. Corrin had taken this long already. Inigo couldn’t last much longer. He looked ready to break.

Panicked, Corrin grabbed Inigo under the shoulders and _kicked_ in the water with all their might, pulling at Inigo with their meager upper body strength. They felt Inigo jerk under their touch in surprise, but they couldn’t stop, couldn’t apologize. They needed to get up, to get out, to _go_.

Whatever had Inigo in its clutches—a log, broken fishing net, whatever—it held on just as tightly as the fear that had anchored itself in Corrin’s heart.

They pulled at Inigo, fighting against an invisible enemy. Inigo thrashed in their arms. They were both kicking, fighting against whatever had caught Inigo in its hold. Long pieces of seaweed drifted back and forth around them. Corrin desperately wished they had something to leverage themselves against, but it was just water all around them.

Corrin’s chest _burned_ with the need for air.

A bubble of preciously air slipped free from Inigo’s lips.

Miraculously, in that same moment, something shifted. Inigo jerked free of whatever had him in its hold. He shot up through the water, towards the surface, panic in every movement. Corrin instinctively released him and swam up with the same urgency, instantly relieved.

Except it was too soon to be relieved. Inigo’s resolve to hold his breath up to this point had been incredible, but his resolve couldn’t live up to the limits of his body. Just a few feet short of the surface, Corrin watched Inigo jerk with the force of something. His head dipped, a rush of bubbles escaping his mouth all at once. His chest visibly seized. Corrin’s whole body ran cold.

Inigo was going to drown only a few short feet from the surface, they realized.

Without thinking, they slipped their arm around Inigo’s waist as they swam past and pulled him the final few feet to open air.

Inigo came up coughing like crazy. It took Corrin a moment to register the sound, since they came up gasping as well. But Inigo’s safety was fresh on their mind, and once their senses returned, it was impossible to miss the awful sounds Inigo made as he hacked up water. He jerked in their grasp with every cough, making it difficult for Corrin to keep a hold of him. They had to duck to avoid being hit by an errant elbow. Somehow, they managed to keep hold.

“Elise, let him grab the innertube!” Corrin urged, barely managing to keep them both afloat.

Elise had already begun to swim closer, and Inigo was already reaching for it. His arm curled around the curve of the tube like a lifeline. Inigo pressed his forehead against the plastic as his chest spasmed. He wasn’t spitting up any more water, Corrin noted with dread, but he kept _coughing_.

They told themselves it was a miracle Inigo could breathe on his own at all. The coughing would stop soon. They hoped.

An icy pit had formed in Corrin’s chest. Dreadful scenarios of what might have happened if they had been even a few seconds slower played behind their eyes. Inigo floating limp in the cloudy water, hair an unearthly halo around his head—

The sun was still full overhead, but the day no longer felt warm. Even Elise shivered.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Corrin said too quickly as they patted Inigo’s back—their best attempt at soothing while trying to make sure he coughed up all the water. “You’re fine. Just breathe. It’s all fine. We’re not going anywhere.”

They were assuring themselves as much as Inigo.

Elise swam under the innertube and came back up on the other side to keep the floatie balanced. All three of them clung off a different side of the tube.

“Are you guys alright?” Elise asked. Her eyes were wide, her face pale. “What happened?”

“Just let him breathe, Elise,” Corrin said as Inigo coughed. They needed a moment to catch their breath too. A weariness settled deep into their bones, adrenaline fading. Corrin could have fallen over if it hadn’t been for the innertube and Elise’s pleading eyes keeping them upright.

Elise pressed her lips together, fearful. Corrin stopped rubbing Inigo’s back. They switched the arm they were using to hold onto the innertube so they could rub Elise’s shoulder instead.

The minutes dragged by. Slowly, the panic of what might have been began to drain away. Corrin kept glancing between Elise and Inigo, unsure of what to do.

Eventually, Inigo had more or less caught his breath on his own. His face was still red and his voice a bit raspy as he said, “Wow. That was a close one.”

Relief exploded in Corrin’s chest. Hearing Inigo speak made him seem more real. More okay.

“Why didn’t you come back up?” Elise asked worriedly.

Inigo weakly coughed again, though this time he sounded like he was trying to clear his throat instead of trying get rid of a ruined lung.

“I don’t know.” His grip on the innertube tightened. “Something—Something grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go.”

Elise’s jaw dropped. “Something _grabbed_ you?”

Inigo’s shoulders jumped at the sharpness of Elise’s voice. His dazed look turned sharper, more startled. 

“No, no,” he said hastily. Corrin bit their lip. “Bad choice of words. I mean—I guess my leg got tangled up in some kelp or whatever down there, and I didn’t realize. Right?”

He looked at Corrin, probably assuming they had seen whatever he’d gotten tangled up in. But it had been too dark. Corrin didn’t want to admit they’d been too freaked out to get a good look at whatever Inigo had been caught up in. Inigo had been the one in danger, and Elise needed somebody solid right now as well. This wasn’t about Corrin.

“Probably,” Corrin agreed. They didn’t like how raspy Inigo’s voice still sounded.

Elise glanced down at the water. “There’s _kelp_ in there? But I thought this was a lake!”

“Seaweed,” Corrin corrected. “I know, the name makes you think it only grows in the ocean. But plants like that grow in all types of water.”

There was Corrin’s sixth grade science report finally coming to use. They wished it was under better circumstances.

“Don’t worry,” they assured Elise as she continued to stare at the water anxiously. “We’re very safe. Seaweed isn’t very strong, and it’s not usually a danger. Inigo—” He and Corrin shared a brief look before Corrin uneasily continued. “He just had some bad luck. You’re not going to get tangled in anything, Elise. I promise. Inigo just had an accident.”

“Yeah,” Inigo agreed. His face was finally starting to return to its normal color, though red still lingered in his cheeks. “I was just being stupid. And I lost your goggles. Sorry, Elise.”

Elise’s head snapped up instantly.

“I’d rather not lose _you_!” she said. Inigo looked taken aback. “I’m just glad you’re okay!” She looked at Inigo imploringly. “You’re really okay, right?”

“Totally,” Inigo said after moment, smiling crookedly. “Don’t worry about me. I might need to nap for a while when we get back though.”

He looked towards the shore longingly.

Elise began kicking along in the water, pulling the innertube with her. She didn’t get very far until Corrin and Inigo joined in, though they were both much slower than her. Inigo must have felt just as worn out as they did, if not more.

“Let’s go back then!” Elise said urgently. “But you better not actually nap. You can still drown on dry land if there’s water in your lungs.”

That knowledge didn’t comfort Corrin, nor did it seem to help Inigo’s nerves.

“Go slow,” Corrin told them both gently, choosing not to comment. They stole another look at Inigo to see how he was faring. He seemed to have composed himself for the moment, they noticed, though it was difficult to tell how much of his calm was a façade.

They had only swum for a few yards before Inigo spoke up again.

“I, ah.” Inigo cleared his throat again and glanced towards Corrin. “Things seemed pretty bleak for a second down there. So thank you. I don’t think I could have gotten out on my own.”

“Yeah,” Corrin breathed. The fact Inigo might have _died_ if Corrin had done anything differently—had been slower, had waited longer, had somehow missed Inigo in the dark—boggled their mind. “Of course. Don’t even mention it.”

The words seemed too lighthearted to be referring to the fact Inigo had almost _drowned_ just now, but they were all Corrin could think to say.

“Could we not, actually?” Inigo asked.

Corrin and Elise slowed, giving Inigo twin looks of confusion as he began to ramble.

“This is… pretty embarrassing, to be honest. And I don’t want anyone to feel weird about swimming for the rest of the week. Or to feel weird about _me_. Especially not Xander. He already doesn’t like swimming.” He looked at them imploringly. “I know this is a lot to ask, but can we not mention ‘Inigo almost drowned looking for a pair of goggles’ while we’re here? At least until we leave? The others will never let me live it down.”

“Inigo—” Corrin started.

“What if you have a nightmare or something?” Elise jumped in. “Shouldn’t everyone know so they can help you? And so nothing bad happens to them too?”

“We’ll tell everyone to stay closer to shore than we did,” Inigo suggested as they paddled along. He sounded a bit guilty as he added, “And… everyone acting all concerned is kind of what I want to avoid. I don’t really want to talk about this, if that’s okay. Later is fine, but… not today. Not anymore. Please?”

Elise fell silent. She looked to Corrin, and Corrin knew they were the one who would have to make the final call. They hesitated.

Inigo averted his eyes, fingers flexing against the innertube.

“Okay,” Corrin reluctantly agreed, guilt winning out. “ _But_ you have to promise to take it easy for the rest of today. And to talk to one of us later if you _do_ start feeling bad! Like if there’s still water in your chest or something. Or if you’re tired when you shouldn’t be.”

“Or if you have bad dreams!” Elise said.

“I barely swallowed any water at all,” Inigo said, his shoulders dropping with obvious relief. “But thank you both. I appreciate this a lot.”

“Of course,” Corrin said.

A part of them wondered if this was enough, if they shouldn’t push more. Inigo looked so visibly grateful however, they didn’t want to go back on their word. Weren’t people who had near death experiences supposed to go into shock or something? Although Inigo looked fairly shaken up, he didn’t look out of it or anything. Maybe leaving him alone for now was actually the best call, Corrin conceded.

“And thank _you_ , Corrin. Again.”

This time Corrin managed a small smile. “Don’t worry about it. Seriously.”

They made their way to shore in silence. Severa and Camilla were still lazing on the dock when they arrived.

Corrin had already suspected that Severa and Camilla hadn’t seen or heard anything that had happened out on the water. They had simply been too far from shore. Corrin knew that if Inigo had really drowned, Corrin and Elise would have had to swim back for help. Nobody would have been able to hear them otherwise. Inigo almost certainly would have died for real then.

Still, it was one thing to know how badly things could go without anyone noticing and another to _know_. Camilla and Severa sat up at their approach, looking normal and not at all concerned. Camilla merely tilted her sunglasses up to look at them.

“You guys are done already?” Severa asked casually. She looked out across the water like she was thinking of getting in.

“Yep!” Corrin said, trying to sound less drained than they truly felt. “I don’t think any of us realized how tiring a game of tag could be. We’re pretty beat now.”

“I wish you three would be more careful,” Camilla commented. “You all swam much farther out than I would have liked. There’s nowhere to sit out there if you get tired, you know.”

Corrin swallowed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“At least Elise brought her innertube. Did you have fun?” She looked at Elise.

Corrin couldn’t fathom their youngest sibling lying to Camilla very easily, and for a moment they worried Elise was going to spill the beans after just promising not to. Next to them, Inigo tensed.

“Yeah!” Elise chirped with startling convincingness. “It was so much fun! We played tag!”

Corrin poorly masked their surprise. Camilla was still looking at Elise, but Severa was giving Corrin and Inigo a strange look. Corrin tried to stay relaxed and look normal, but from the way Severa narrowed her eyes, she probably noticed something was up.

Severa squinted at Inigo next. “And how are you two feeling?”

“Great!” Inigo said cheerily, grinning. His mask was impeccable. Corrin stared for a moment too long before catching themself.

Severa frowned. “Did you swallow a bunch of water or something? You sound weird.”

Inigo laughed. If they hadn’t known better, Corrin never would have clocked it as fake.

“Something like that,” Inigo said breezily. He trudged onto shore and started marching towards his cabin. He stumbled once but quickly corrected himself, making it look natural. “Is Xander back yet?”

“Not yet,” Severa said. Her mouth twisted further as she watched him leave, but Inigo didn’t falter again in his retreat. She turned back to the group when Camilla spoke.

“Are either of you hungry?” Camilla asked Corrin and Elise. “There’s some snacks on the kitchen counter if you’re really starving, but don’t eat too much. Xander will be back any minute.”

“Oh, snacks!” Elise threw her innertube onto the grass, far enough away from the water that it wouldn’t get washed out again. “Let’s go, Corrin!”

Corrin said, “Oh, but Xander—"

Elise had already taken off towards the cabin.

Severa flipped around to lay on her stomach, eyes closed. She was apparently done with the conversation. Camilla chuckled at Elise’s abrupt leave.

“I don’t know where she gets all that energy from.” To Corrin, she said, “Won’t you sunbathe with us? I’m sure we’ll go back inside in a few minutes anyway. I don’t know how much more our skin can take.”

“That’s alright,” Corrin said, walking towards the cabin, “but thanks for the offer. I think I’m going to dry off inside first.”

“You can dry yourself off in the sun with us,” Camilla tried again.

Corrin smiled. “Thanks but no thanks.”

As they left, Severa said, “Did the temperature drop or what?”

They didn’t quite catch Camilla’s reply.

Corrin entered the cabin via the deck door. A trail of wet footprints led from the living room carpet into the kitchen. There, Elise was already searching the counters for something to eat.

“Oh,” Corrin said, watching Elise grab a box of cookies from the snack pile. “I didn’t realize you were actually hungry.”

Elise tore open the top of the box. “Aren’t you? Excitement always makes me super hungry.”

Corrin didn’t know if they were referencing the excitement of the day in general or Inigo’s incident specifically. Either way, Corrin couldn’t have related less. They could have napped the day away and then some. Their eyelids were already drooping.

They glanced back out the window, but Camilla and Severa hadn’t budged from their spot on the dock.

“I know we promised Inigo not to say anything, but I thought for sure Camilla would find out what happened in ten seconds flat anyway,” Corrin commented. “I never realized you were such a good liar, Elise. I’m impressed. I don’t think I’m very good myself.”

“Really? Just do what I do.” Elise swallowed a mouthful of cookie. “I lie to Camilla and Xander about stuff all the time, and they never catch on.”

“You do?” Corrin asked, taken aback. “What kind of stuff do you lie about?”

Rather than answer, Elise shoved another cookie into her mouth.

* * *

“ _Shit_ ,” Inigo hissed the moment the door closed behind him. He dropped to the floor like a boulder.

He instantly regretted speaking—both for the way the word bounced around the empty cabin and for the soreness in his throat. He shouldn’t have been talking.

He shouldn’t have been alive at all.

Although they were no longer supporting his weight, his legs still shook pitifully under him. Every limb felt leaden, weighed down. It was a miracle Inigo had made it to shore at all. Without the help of Elise’s innertube, he wasn’t sure he would have.

Water dripped from his swimsuit and onto the carpet, which greedily soaked up the moisture, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. Goosebumps had broken out in waves over his skin. Or maybe they were full body chills.

He couldn’t believe he had made it back to shore like that. Couldn’t believe he had walked into the cabin on his own two feet at all. The brief exchange they’d had with Camilla and Severa just now was already hazy in his mind.

But with Corrin and Elise’s frightened eyes on him like that out in the water—what had he been meant to do?

It wasn’t just his legs that were shaking, Inigo realized. Every inch of him trembled like a leaf in a brutal wind. He felt entirely wrung out. His lungs stung when he breathed in too deeply, and yet he couldn’t stop the quickened pace of his breaths.

Had he swallowed more water than he thought? It felt like he’d coughed the entire lake back up already.

Laughter began to bubble its way past his lips. Then the pain in his chest overcame it, and the hysteria sank back down somewhere into the depths.

Maybe Elise had been right after all. Maybe he shouldn’t have been alone.

If Inigo had his choice, he would have laid on the floor forever.

However, his eyes caught the time. Xander would be back any minute.

 _Okay_ , he thought. He told himself to breathe evenly, though it was a lost cause.

Slowly, achingly, Inigo fumbled his way into the bathroom.

He needed a shower. A hot one.

* * *

“Don’t wait up for us!” Niles yelled over his shoulder as he and Owain followed Leo back inside the cabin.

He wasn’t sure anybody heard him. Niles didn’t particularly care either way, but at least he could defend himself later if anyone accused them of taking too long.

He tuned back in to the familiar sounds of Owain’s chatter.

“You _must_ join us,” insisted Owain, seemingly oblivious to whether or not Leo was listening. “Think of the imagery! Standing side by side on the sandy border between land and—”

“This is a lake, not a beach,” Leo cut in as they entered the living room.

“—water,” Owain finished. “Think of lazing in bliss until dusk! Think of the water glistening off your tanned shoulders!”

“Pass,” Leo said. He was making a beeline for the bathroom. The back of his shirt clung to him with sweat.

“Leo, you don’t have to play coy,” Niles said, just to stoke the fire. “I know you want to swim with the others. You don’t have to put up this front.”

That, finally, gave Leo pause. The look of displeasure he sent Niles was too good for words.

Frowning, Leo said, “I’m not—"

“Yes!” Owain cut Leo off. “Do not fear that divine fire we call the sun! Bask instead in the warmth of companionship, in the heat of the day’s trials! Niles and I shall be there with you the whole way! We shield you from the sun’s treacherous rays with our bodies if need be!”

“Please, Leo,” Niles said, not at all hiding his smirk. “I can’t bear to see you deny yourself like this.”

“I’m not denying myself anything!” Leo threw his hands up. “Please. I’m gross and covered in sweat from our walk. All I want is a shower.”

True to his word, Leo did look delectably flushed. His shirt clung to his skin more than Owain’s or Niles’s did, certainly. Leo wasn’t accustomed to the heat. Niles doubted he ever would be. He also knew the last thing Leo wanted was to go outside again, lake or no lake.

Still, that didn’t mean he’d relent.

“Change into your swimsuit and use the lake like a shower,” Owain suggested, oblivious to Leo’s genuine distaste and Niles’s teasing.

Leo shook his head. “I didn’t even bring—”

“I brought your swim trunks,” Niles said.

Leo grimaced in a way that told Niles he’d expected this.

“The answer is still no,” he said. “I just spent the last two hours with you two and everyone else. I’m going to take a shower now, and you can’t stop me.”

He opened the bathroom door and turned on the light.

“And afterwards you’ll swim!” Owain called after him.

Leo shut the door as an answer.

Fists on his hips, Owain turned to Niles. Niles returned his look with a smirk.

“We can break him,” he said.

“I prefer to think of it as persuasion,” Owain said, which wasn’t disagreement. But Niles hadn’t been referring to convincing Leo to swim.

Behind the bathroom door, the shower turned on. Niles felt vaguely sweaty, but the cool air of the cabin was already fixing that nicely. Owain also looked a little flushed from the heat. Niles thought he wore the look well.

With Leo in the bathroom, Owain and Niles were alone in the living room together.

Owain seemed to realize this after several moments delay. Niles noted the visible change in his demeanor. The once confident and almost “normal” Owain—if there was such a thing—at once became much more squirrely.

“Let us be off then!” Owain said, just a bit too quickly to be casual. “We should change into our own aquatic wear and wait with the others for Leo to—"

“Oh, there’s no way we’re getting him into that water,” Niles interrupted.

Owain paused. “What?”

“Leo’s not the type to enjoy swimming,” he said. “Especially when the water isn’t filtered. And especially not in the daylight. He’s not leaving this cabin again until dark, probably. Or at least until lunch.”

Owain stared dumbly. His shoulders slumped with confusion.

“Then why’d you say that stuff about Leo wanting to swim?”

Niles’s smile curled at its edges. “Because that look of disgust he gave us was so exquisite.”

“Oh.”

Even a week ago, Owain would not have simply said “oh.” He would have had something witty to say. Or longwinded, even if it wasn’t clever. But this Owain shifted his weight awkwardly and glanced at the bathroom door, biting the inside of his cheek, rather than speak up.

Niles had expected this. As of late, when they were together in public, Owain could manage to act like his usual self. But as soon as Owain realized he was alone with one or both of them, he changed.

Which didn’t entirely make sense, if Niles was being honest. It wasn’t he who had caught Owain off guard the other day, after all. He didn’t learn about their exchange until later. What exactly was Owain afraid Niles would say to him?

It was more than time to clear the air.

Now, somebody else might have taken pity on Owain and put him out of his misery immediately.

Unfortunately for him, Niles was not the type to take pity.

“So,” he said.

“So,” Owain echoed, shifting his weight. “I guess… I’ll go get changed then?”

It sounded like a question. Niles didn’t dignify it with an answer.

He took several steps towards Owain, causing Owain—predictably—to stumble back. Owain’s back hit the wall. Niles purposely leaned in so he was invading Owain’s personal bubble, though he also made sure not to touch Owain directly. Owain could have squirmed away if he really wanted. Niles made sure to box him in with body language, not force.

“ _So_ ,” Niles said again. “Here you are. And here I am.”

He watched the line of Owain’s throat as he swallowed.

“We sure are,” Owain agreed. His voice was admirably steady for a man Niles knew he had so off-kilter. Off-kilter enough to drop the theatrics, at least, which was a feat by itself. Niles gave Owain points for trying.

The height difference between them made it so Niles couldn’t place his face too close to Owain’s without leaning down rather obviously. They weren’t ready for that step yet. Still, he made sure to tilt his head and drop his voice just-so.

“Sounds like the start of a good time to me,” he drawled.

In his head, Niles saw Leo roll his eyes at that line. He felt his grin grow at the thought.

Owain took it another way.

“Yep,” he said. “Us and Leo and all of Leo’s family. We’ll have a great time this week. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Oh, cut the bullshit already,” Niles said, dropping the act and using his normal, unimpressed voice. “This has gone on long enough. Leo and I both like you, Owain, and you know it.”

Owain seemed to chew on his tongue before answering. “’Like’ as in…”

“As in we’re _interested_ ,” Niles said. “Don’t play dumb with me. I see right through you. And I know you’re more than a little interested in us yourself.”

Owain looked annoyed that Niles had called him out so blatantly, but he didn’t do them both the insult of denying Niles’s words. He pressed his lips together and looked away. It was difficult for Niles to read his expression, but he hazarded a guess anyway.

“I think you would have admitted that about a week ago, had we asked you then,” Niles continued, a little more gently. “So why don’t we talk about what happened between then and now?”

Owain opened his mouth. “I…”

“Or we could go back to dancing around each other and pretending you don’t run away every time you have to be alone with us. But we’re going to be here for the rest of the week, so I suggest we take the first option.”

They looked at each other for a moment. Niles half expected Owain to push him away, knocking his shoulder against Niles as he left.

Instead, Owain crossed his arms. “Leo didn’t say?”

“I want to hear it from you,” Niles said.

“Then you know it’s nothing,” Owain said with a frown. “I’ll get over it. Sorry for bothering you.”

Niles shrugged. “Okay, then I’ll say it.” He caught and held Owain’s gaze. “We didn’t like you.”

Owain flinched like he’d been hit. Niles thought of it like pulling off a bandage.

“We didn’t like you when we met,” he repeated, “and you didn’t realize it. You called us friends, and Leo would purposely tell you to do things to get you to go away. I said some nasty things myself. Over time, Leo and I grew to like you a lot more, and now over a year later, we’re telling you that we’re attracted to you.”

That was as succinct as Niles could think to phrase it. He didn’t let the stoniness of Owain’s face get to him.

“Which part of that is giving you the most trouble?” he asked. “I’m pretty sure it’s not the attraction part, since you were giving us a pretty obvious go-ahead before.”

He didn’t miss the shift in Owain’s jaw, like he was chewing on his cheek. A nervous tic.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re _too_ blunt?” Owain asked.

Niles smiled with his teeth. “All the time.”

Owain grimaced. A few seconds passed before he spoke again.

“Yeah, well. That’s it.” He leaned back against the wall. “Leo said you guys didn’t like me when we met. That’s all.”

“I believe ‘hate’ was the word he used.”

Owain wrinkled his nose. “Are you trying to make me feel better or tear me down some more? It’s hard to tell.”

“I’m trying not to leave anything out of the bigger picture,” Niles said. “You realize Leo and I like you here in the present, don’t you? We have for some time now.”

“I guess,” Owain said reluctantly.

This was the part where Niles’s smugness melted away.

“What is there to guess about? What part of how we feel _now_ is unclear?” He crossed his arms, mirroring Owain. “Or are you the type to get caught up in the past? Funny. You didn’t strike me as one.”

“Pot, kettle,” Owain said, gesturing between them.

Niles didn’t deny it. He waited.

Owain shifted, shoulders losing some of their tension. Slowly, he said, “Listen, I just don’t want to make this weird, okay? You and Leo have been together since forever, and everyone knows you’re perfect for each other. I know I’m late to the game, and you…” He huffed. “You didn’t even _like_ me when we met.”

The bathroom door swung open with such force that both Owain and Niles’s heads snapped in its direction, startled.

Leo, still wet, came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Niles hadn’t heard the water shut off. In fact, Leo had returned so quickly that Niles had to wonder if he’d done anything more than hop in the shower and hop right back out.

 _“I shouldn’t have said all that,”_ Leo rushed to say, words tripping over each other. When he realized Owain and Niles were staring, Leo took in a deep breath and started over. Thankfully slower this time.

“I made that joke thinking you’d _known_ Niles and I weren’t your biggest fan when we met,” Leo corrected. A fat bead of water dripped from his chin to the tile. He pushed his flat hair back without looking away. “I thought it was obvious, and you had just been very persistent about getting to know us. I didn’t realize you thought we were _friends_ that early on. I’m sorry I ever said anything to make you feel guilty or uncomfortable about that.”

Owain shifted his weight. His mouth twisted. “I wouldn’t have forced you to hang around me if you didn’t want to.”

“But I’m _glad_ ,” Leo said, stepping closer. “I’m _glad_ you were persistent, and I’m grateful you didn’t realize we didn’t like you. Because Niles and I _grew_ to like you. Quite quickly, actually. If you don’t like our flirting, we can stop that. But I don’t want to lose you as a friend too. We care about you, genuinely. That’s not a lie.”

The three of them had formed a little circle next to the bathroom door. Owain had been boxed in against the wall, Niles and Leo on either side. Again, Niles made sure to leave just enough space between them to not to completely cut off all means of escape for Owain.

For a moment, listening to Leo’s apology, Niles thought Owain looked hopeful. Then a conflicted look flashed over his face.

“I’m just not sure what you guys are going for here,” Owain said, averting his eyes. His cheeks were a little pink.

“We could demonstrate, if you’d like,” Niles suggested.

Leo elbowed him.

“We would like you to be in a relationship,” Leo said, “with both of us.”

Owain didn’t look surprised, but he still hesitated. “I… _really_ appreciate the offer, but I’m just not sure that would be a great idea.”

Leo tightened the towel around his waist. “Why not? No offense, but you seemed to be on the same page as us a week ago.”

Owain shook his head. “Because it just wouldn’t be.”

None of them had said it outright before today, but there had been more than enough hints that Owain had caught on to Leo and Niles’s intentions long ago. They had flirted before. Niles draped himself over Owain most chances he got, and Owain did the same. Once, in hasty panic at being late for some obligation Niles couldn’t remember now, Leo had kissed both Niles _and_ Owain goodbye before running out the door. Owain had all but short-circuited at that, but at no point had it seemed a _bad_ thing. If anything, Owain had encouraged it.

Niles could barely believe Leo’s slip of the tongue was still an issue at this point. Which meant there was something more at play here than one offhand comment Owain had simply taken too hard. Or, that was to say, the _reason_ Owain had taken Leo’s comment so hard was the problem.

It was time to bring out the big guns. Niles had been saving his observations for a while now, although he hadn’t been looking forward to using it.

“Let me take a stab at this one,” he said, drawing Owain and Leo’s attention back to him. “Owain, based on your personality alone, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that when you were young, other children probably laughed in your face about your interests and the way you talked, and you didn’t figure out they meant it in a _mean_ way until much later.”

Owain’s face fell carefully blank. Niles kept going.

“I assume your classmates jeered at you for being too loud and annoying on the regular. Somebody probably even told you to your face that they didn’t like you and that you were too dumb to read the room and realize sooner. So now you have a secret fear about being disliked and not realizing it. Am I more or less on the right track?”

He knew he was, though he didn’t like it. It explained why Owain was acting so anxious about Leo admitting to not liking him in the past, at the very least. Niles had caught the other signs of his insecurity long ago. It all lined up. Owain hid the gaps in his armor well, but Niles had eyes too.

Well. One eye. But it worked well.

Leo was giving Niles a look that Niles was very purposely ignoring. He focused on Owain, who stared back for a long moment. Niles refused to be the first to break eye contact.

After a beat, Owain rolled his eyes and tilted his face away.

“Wow, didn’t realize you were going to read me like a book,” he grumbled—though not nearly as venomously as Niles might have deserved. “Are you done analyzing me now or should I get the chair?”

Leo’s eyes were wide. “Wait, is any of that really true?”

“He’ll tell us,” Niles said, nodding to Owain. “I’m good at reading between the lines, but I’m not quite a mind reader.”

Owain shrugged awkwardly. “I’m not really into that type of tragic backstory, but… what he said. More or less.”

“So you’re afraid we _actually_ don’t like you still,” Leo said with dawning realization. Niles knew how to recognize people on the down and out better than Leo did, perhaps, but he also loved how quick his boyfriend was on the uptake. “Or that we’re messing with you. Or that you misread everything at the start, so now you’re trying to figure out if you’ve been misreading everything since then too. Or—”

“Okay!” Owain said loudly, posture stiff. “Didn’t realize you both had decided to put me under the microscope today! And that I wasn’t needed for this discussion about my own insecurities!”

He looked very much like he wanted to walk out of the room and not return. Somehow, he restrained himself. Niles mentally patted him on the back.

“Sorry,” Leo said. He shared a look with Niles, who let him have the floor once more. “I… Owain, before this moment, I didn’t realize you _had_ insecurities.”

The expression on Owain’s face was difficult to read, but Niles thought the lines of his posture were a little sad. “Is that really so hard to believe?”

Leo shrugged helplessly. “You always present yourself like you’re not afraid of anything.”

“I’m afraid of a lot of things.” Owain leaned against the wall again. “I just try not to scream them from the rooftops if I can help it.”

Leo winced. “Sorry. Again.”

Niles didn’t apologize for pushing because they hadn’t been getting anywhere until he had, but he did reach out and squeeze Owain’s bicep comfortingly before pulling back again. Owain followed Niles’s hand with his eyes.

“Leo and I have spoken for you enough,” Niles said softly. Not an apology, but something like it. An open hand. “Why don’t you tell us what you’re really afraid of?”

Owain opened his mouth. Closed it. Then opened it again.

“Okay,” he said. Then he eyed Leo. “Uh, do you want to put some clothes on first or…”

That might have been his way of buying more time, Niles knew, but he figured Owain deserved it by now. And it was a fair enough point.

Leo looked down at himself as though realizing for the first time that he was clad in only the towel.

“Oh!” He flushed. “I should—Yes, I’ll be right back.”

He turned around and ducked into the bedroom.

Niles caught Owain’s eye and jerked his head towards the couch. They’d probably have to sit down for this one.

“After you,” he said.

* * *

Leo sent a message that he, Niles, and Owain wouldn’t be joining them for lunch, so there were plenty of seats to choose from.

Despite that, Xander couldn’t help but note the way Inigo all but plastered himself to Xander’s side while they ate.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked when Inigo abandoned all pretenses and leaned heavily against Xander’s side. Inigo’s legs were curled up on his cushion, and Xander had no doubt Inigo would have crawled into his lap if he could.

“Me?” Inigo said. “Of course. Why? What’s up?”

Xander raised his eyebrows deliberately.

“The last time you clung to me this closely was when you tried to lie about liking horror movies,” he said. Secretly, he’d filed that away as a rather cute memory, even if the way Inigo had woken him up in the middle of the night because “ _Xander, what if it’s a bulger or something?_ ” had been decidedly less cute.

Inigo had a “pfft” sound. “Me? Clingy? I don’t know what you mean.”

Xander hummed noncommittally.

At the other end of the sofa, Severa had also pulled her legs up. She leaned away from Inigo, against the other arm of the couch. At Inigo’s not at all convincing denial, she gave him a skeptical look. Then she popped another potato chip in her mouth and went back to her phone.

The two small couches were arranged in an L shape in front of the TV. They were two-seater pieces, but they managed to squeeze three people onto each couch with a bit of wriggling. Xander, Inigo, and Severa occupied the first couch. Camilla, Elise, and Corrin occupied the other and were caught up in their own conversation. A small end table between Severa and Camilla’s seats acted as the corner of the L.

Nobody seemed to pay any attention to the TV, though it was on. Everyone was finished or nearly finished with their meals. Leo, Niles, and Owain’s forgotten food sat in the fridge.

Xander didn’t miss the almost absent way Inigo rubbed at his ankle through his jeans as he looked away. It wasn’t a quirk he’d noticed Inigo having before. He filed it away for later.

“Are you really alright?” he asked.

Inigo laughed, pulling his hands back to himself. “Yes, of course _._ Don’t you believe me? Or did you miss me that much while you were out?”

“I was gone for barely an hour,” Xander pointed out.

Inigo batted his eyelashes. “That’s not a no.”

Xander huffed fondly. He set his now empty sandwich container on the floor, careful not to drop any crumbs into the carpet. Straightening up, he wrapped his arm around Inigo’s shoulders. Inigo snuggled closer, visibly happy.

“There’s still some light left,” he commented. Summer days almost never seemed to end. “Do you think you’ll get back in the water?”

Inigo stiffened under his arm. Xander frowned.

“You have to wait at least an hour after eating,” Camilla commented, probably for Elise and Corrin’s benefit.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Inigo said, looking at the other couch.

“Yeah,” Corrin jumped in. “I think we’re all pretty tired. Maybe we can just spend some time together instead?”

Camilla gave Corrin a side hug at that. “Aw, how sweet. We can do whatever you want. I’m open to anything.”

Severa set down her phone and stretched her arms above her head.

“Camilla and I didn’t get to swim today,” she said. “But whatever. There’s always tomorrow.”

“That’s right,” Camilla said, still looking at Corrin.

Inigo poked Xander in the side. He seemed to have relaxed again. Inigo’s clinginess today was a little unusual, even for him, but it was by no means unwelcome.

“And it’s not like you’re going swimming either,” Inigo said.

“Alright, alright.” Xander put his hand up, surrendering. “It was simply a suggestion.”

At the far end of the other couch, Elise wiggled in her seat.

“We can still do something else,” she said. “There’s lots of stuff we can do together.”

It wasn’t often Xander had the opportunity to participate in one of Elise’s games, so he wasn’t going to shoot her idea down either. He was genuinely content to do whatever the group wanted wanted, so long as they did it together. A small part of him was disappointed Leo wasn’t here for this too. But, he told himself, they had the whole week together yet.

Camilla asked Elise, “What do you have in mind?”

* * *

Later, when the sun had set and everyone was too distracted to miss them, Corrin crept back down to the lake.

They padded across the dock with their bare feet and listened to the crickets chirp a melody they didn’t understand. A few odd fireflies danced over the grass. The lake was black and still.

This was the lake where they could have become a family, Corrin thought. Where their mother had announced her pregnancy. Where their father had tried to propose. Where Inigo had nearly drowned now. A bit of guilt still gnawed at Corrin’s gut over that last one.

It was a lake of almosts.

They sat at the end of the dock and dangled their legs in the water. The dock rested but a few scant inches above the lake, so when Corrin dipped their feet in, the water covered most of their calf. It felt cool against their skin.

Minutes passed. Corrin looked at the water, the trees, the shadows of the dark cabins they could barely make out across the lake. It felt as though Corrin and their family were the only living creatures for miles. Only the insects stirred in the night air.

How long had Mikoto waited before she had given up hope? When had she realized she was all alone? Corrin tried to imagine what their mother must have felt in those days. They couldn’t.

“Where are you?” they whispered to the water, wondering if Mikoto hadn’t asked that same question twenty years before.

If she had, she hadn’t received a reply. Neither did Corrin.

It had all worked out in the end, Corrin knew. Mikoto had eventually met another man who had also lost his loving wife, and they had found solace in each other. They were still happily married to this day. Corrin wouldn’t have wanted their mother to be sad forever, nor could they have wished for a better partner for their mother than Sumeragi.

But still.

Their father had walked these trails once. Laid in this grass. Swam in these waters. Lived in these cabins.

Corrin had a good time with their family and friends that day. They had laughed and had fun and had already built good memories in the short time they had been at the lake so far. But all day long Corrin couldn’t help but think, _Did my dad do this? Did he_ feel _this?_

They’d had a good time, but they didn’t feel any closer to their father than when they had started. And Inigo had almost died for it.

That hadn’t been Corrin’s fault. It had just been an accident. Inigo was fine now. The same thing could have happened to anyone, anywhere, they knew.

But Corrin hadn’t missed the way Inigo had stuck close to Xander all afternoon. How he refused to talk about what had almost happened, even after Corrin caught him in the kitchen that evening and tried to whisper-ask if he was doing alright. They had done their best to help Inigo when Xander asked about taking another swim, but lying didn’t feel good. Not when Corrin had to second-guess if Inigo wasn’t better off coming clean. Not when they wanted to be honest with their family. And especially not when they knew it was their fault for bringing Inigo with them in the first place.

Inigo, Elise, Camilla, Severa, Xander, Leo, Niles Owain—it could have been any of them, and Corrin would have felt this way. Corrin was the one who had asked them all to come. And they all had, for them.

Now Corrin didn’t know what they were looking for anymore. Traces of their father, of course. But it had been years, and Anankos and Mikoto had only come to the lake a few odd days every summer. They hadn’t ever really _lived_ there. They hadn’t carved their names into the rocks or the trees. There were no neighbors who could speak fondly about them. Corrin’s parents had been here, but they had left nothing of themselves behind except bittersweet memories and a cold case. What did Corrin expect to find?

They sighed. Behind them, a door opened and closed. They looked back to see Elise walking across the grass to meet them once more. Corrin didn’t know how long they had been sitting outside.

Just like the night before, Elise plopped down next to them.

“Hey,” Elise said, hands in her lap. “What are you thinking about?”

“My dad.”

Elise hummed. She looked at Corrin’s legs in the water. “Did you have fun today?”

“I did,” Corrin admitted—and they had, so long as they forgot about the part where Inigo had almost _died_ and how that was probably going to traumatize him for life. “But…”

Elise waited.

“But I didn’t really find anything more about him,” they finished.

Elise hummed again, considering. She put her chin in her hands in a mock of the pose Leo often used when he was thinking. Corrin let the silence lay between them.

After a minute or so of thought, Elise said, “We should become detectives!”

Corrin raised their eyebrows at the suggestion. It had come out of nowhere, and yet Elise looked at them expectantly. Some of the heaviness in the air began to ebb, though it still lingered in their periphery.

“Detectives, huh?”

“Yes!” Elise held her fists up. “We could fight criminals! And chase diamond thieves! And then, when we had a lot of experience solving cases, we could figure out what happened to your dad.”

It was a touching thought. Corrin wasn’t sure how realistic becoming a detective really was, but the thought of having a more concrete way of searching for remnants of their father was a nice one. Maybe he’d left a journal behind or something.

“We could start right now,” Elise continued excitedly. “This’ll be our first big break. Tomorrow, we don’t have to play games. We can—”

She cut herself off with a noise of surprise. Corrin turned their head and saw Elise’s eyes were comically big. She was staring cross-eyed at the tip of her nose.

Corrin couldn’t help but giggle. “Are you alright there?”

A fat raindrop landed on top of Corrin’s head.

Their eyes also widened. They felt their expression mirror Elise’s.

Out of nowhere, several more raindrops fell onto the dock and into the water with increasing frequency. Corrin looked up and realized they couldn’t see any stars. Overhead, the clouds had grown dark and thick without their noticing.

A storm had rolled in.

“Quick!” Elise jumped to her feet. “Let’s get back inside!”

Corrin began to pull their heavy legs out of the lake, the water’s surface now uneven with rain. “Yeah, let’s—”

Something cold and slimy wrapped itself around their ankle and _yanked_. Corrin yelped as their butt hit the dock and they slid dangerously close to the edge.

They would have toppled into the water if not for the way Elise grabbed their arm at the last second, pulling them back. Corrin dragged their nails across the wood of the dock without traction.

“Are you okay?” Elise asked breathlessly.

Corrin didn’t answer. They scrambled back from the water, somehow kicking free of whatever had wrapped itself around their ankle. Corrin shot to their feet, heart pounding, as lake water ran down their bare calves. The surface of the lake rippled with the raindrops. Nothing stood out in the darkness.

They placed a hand over their chest and breathed out slowly.

Next to them, Elise was looking anxiously between the edge of the dock and Corrin.

“Did you slip?” she asked.

Corrin shook their head, distracted by the dark water. “I think something grabbed me.”

Elise sucked in a startled breath. Corrin realized they had made Inigo’s mistake.

Eyes wide, though less comical this time, Elise said, “You mean like—”

“No, no,” Corrin said, shaking their head. “I mean—You’re right. I did slip. It scared me.”

A beat passed.

“So… not like Inigo,” Elise said, sounding a bit uncertain.

They tried to smile at Elise reassuringly. “Right. No seaweed. I just scared myself.”

No creature from the black lagoon surged up out of the water to grab them. That would have been ridiculous. Corrin had just slipped and panicked at the feel of some algae.

They were on dry land now. They were safe.

The misty rain continued to fall.

Elise looked at the water hesitantly.

“I don’t think I want to swim anymore,” she said. “Not here. It’s too dangerous.”

“We do keep giving ourselves a scare, don’t we?” Corrin said lightly. Another thing to feel guilty about. “Yeah, let’s… let’s not go swimming tomorrow. Let’s be detectives instead.”

“Alright,” Elise said. She was still looking at Corrin.

Corrin had to force their legs to work again. Their legs felt heavy, as though they had spent the whole day working out, and their ankle tingled where the phantom grip—the seaweed or whatever—had touched it. They were going to sleep well tonight.

They nudged Elise in the direction of the cabin. A strong gust of wind caused them both to flinch in surprise.

By the time they reached the deck, the rain had transformed from a mild mist to a full-blown storm. Corrin threw the deck door open. The wind nearly blew the door out of their hands before they could close it again.

Elise ran in first, Corrin following close behind.

* * *

Severa was stretched out across one of the couches in her cabin and scrolling through her social media feed when she got the message.

**From: Owain**

_guess who has begun a new chapter of heart-pounding thrills and mystique???_

Not caring to think too hard this late in the day, Severa sent back a string of question marks.

After a minute, her phone buzzed again.

**From: Owain**

_I mean I might be dating Niles and Leo now, I think_

Severa’s eyebrows shot up. This wasn’t an unexpected development, per say, but it sure had happened fast. She’d thought those three would be dancing around each other for another month at least.

**From: Severa**

_you’re not sure???_

She glanced over at Camilla on the other couch, but Camilla was intermittently scrolling through the TV channels to find something of interest. A closed book sat in her lap, a bookmark Severa had given her a year ago marking some page partway through. Camilla didn’t seem excited or particularly interested in her phone, so Severa could only assume this development was so new that Leo hadn’t told his sister yet. Severa felt a little smug about getting that update first.

**From: Owain**

_I mean, I am sure but it still seems pretty unreal atm_

Severa didn’t see how. She and Inigo had seen this coming a mile away, since day one.

Then she slyly glanced over to Camilla. Severa reevaluated her thought process and typed a response.

**From: Severa**

_Congrats. Try not to mess it up until we’re not all stuck here together anymore_

**From: Owain**

_My throat hurts, tbh_

**From: Severa**

_disgusting_

**From: Owain**

_FROM ALL THE TALKING WE DID!!!!!_

**From: Severa**

_Don’t say it like that then_

**From: Owain**

_I wasn’t thinking! Sorry._

**From: Owain**

_I don’t think Leo and Niles are going to let any of us mess it up at this point, but I’ll try not to anyway_

**From: Severa**

_smh_

She almost ended it there. Instead, Severa paused. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

To her left, Camilla sat very close and also very far away.

**From: Severa**

_I’m really happy for you_

**From: Severa**

_And I want all the (not tmi) details later_

Her stomach churned under the weight of her phone when she set it down. One final buzz made her check again.

**From: Owain**

_Noted_

She didn’t reply this time. Her heart had begun to pound in her chest as new thoughts swarmed in her head. No, she was getting ahead of herself. She needed to calm down.

Like some mixture of blessing and curse, Elise trotted out of her bedroom and out the back door without a word.

Camilla turned her head at the sound of the door opening. For a moment, Severa thought she was going to call after Elise. Chase after her, even. Camilla turned back to the TV instead, seemingly deciding Elise was fine on her own.

Corrin was gone too. Outside or visiting Xander or taking a walk. Something Severa hadn’t paid attention to. And now that Elise was gone, Severa and Camilla had the cabin to themselves.

Self-restraint had never been one of Severa’s strong suits.

She remained on the couch for a moment, trying to be casual as she built up her courage. Even this was pushing her natural limits. But this had to be a sign, right? Right?

After about two minutes of nervously pretending to be engrossed on her phone, Severa’s eagerness got the better of her. She swung her legs onto the floor and sat up, shoving her phone into her back pocket. She dug her fingers into the couch cushions to keep them from shaking too visibly.

“Hey, Camilla?” She cleared her throat. “Can I talk to you about something? Maybe in the bedroom?”

Camilla smiled dryly and set the TV to mute. “How forward of you.”

“No!” Heat rushed to Severa’s cheeks. She was almost dizzy with excitement. “I mean—I want to talk about something important, and—we might want some privacy for it.”

“Oh?” Camilla’s face was the perfect portrait of vague interest. “And what might this be about?”

Severa glanced towards the back door but didn’t see a flash of Elise or Corrin returning. It was now or never.

“I think you know what I want to talk about,” she said.

Camilla shook her head delicately. “I haven’t the foggiest idea.”

Her blasé look was almost convincing. She was going to make Severa work for it.

Camilla didn’t get up off the couch to walk to the bedroom, so Severa didn’t either. That meant they could be interrupted any second. Severa would have to make this quick. Her heart thundered behind her ribs.

“I really like you,” she blurted. “A lot. And I know you like me too. Romantically. So I think we should stop beating around the bush already and get on with it.”

“And what gave you that impression?”

Camilla’s face was just as impassive as her voice. Severa didn’t let it get to her.

“Uh, _everything_?” she scoffed. “Look, I don’t really get why you keep backing off every time we’re about to have a ‘moment’ or whatever, but we can. You know. Talk about it, if you want.”

Every second that ticked by without some kind of confirmation that Severa wasn’t hanging herself on her own olive branch was a minor hell. Despite that, she managed to offer Camilla a hesitant smile.

 _This is it_ , she thought. _Finally_.

“Hm.” Camilla picked up her book. “No, thank you.”

Severa’s stomach dropped. She stared.

Camilla’s eyes scanned the page without urgency.

“What?” Severa shot to her feet without thinking. “No! Let’s talk about it.”

Camilla sighed. She lowered her book again, lips pursed. “I don’t know what kind of impression I gave you—”

“ _Impression_?” Severa repeated, incredulous.

With more emotion than Severa had witnessed so far, Camilla said, “What do you _want_ from me, Severa?”

Severa’s hands had balled themselves into fists by her side. “I want you to admit that you’re into me just as much as I’m into you!”

Camilla’s stare was ice. “And if I’m not?”

That stung. A lot. Camilla probably knew that it did.

Still, Severa didn’t let herself falter.

“Then _say_ that!” she snapped. “Don’t—Don’t leave me in limbo just because you like me there! You’re so vague! I’m not a yo-yo! You can’t just yank me around and expect me to be happy with it! You don’t get to cut me off every time I want to be honest about what’s between us just because _you_ refuse to be!”

With controlled, deliberate movement, Camilla placed her book aside and stood to her full height. Even without shoes, she still towered a few good inches above Severa.

They faced each other, but they weren’t face-to-face. They weren’t that close, physically or otherwise. In the last few seconds, the gulf between them had somehow grown even larger.

“You are _very_ presumptuous,” Camilla said. Her mask was perfect.

Severa waited for more. For Camilla to snap, to apologize, to elaborate, to storm away in a huff like Severa wanted. To finally say _You got me_ or _You idiot, is that what you’ve been thinking this whole time?_ To finally, _finally_ , say how she felt.

A second ticked by. Then two. Camilla stared, face hard.

Severa clenched her fists so tight her knuckles ached. Ugly, selfish words she had only allowed herself to think in her most hollow moments sat in the pit of her throat like hot coals. Camilla didn’t deserve them, and yet she couldn’t smother the vicious part of herself it either.

“ _You think you’re the only one with mommy issues?_ ” she nearly screamed.

Somehow, she kept her mouth shut. Just barely. And if only because of how easily those words would be turned on her if she said them, since she wasn’t exactly blameless in the “complicated family” department either. She was _trying_ , though, damn it, and Camilla didn’t seem to be doing the same. Words like that would have absolutely gotten Camilla to react after all of Severa’s other fruitless attempts so far had failed. Severa wanted to crack that haughty mask of hers.

But they also would have been a low blow. Too low.

With great effort, Severa shoved the accusation back into the purposely ignored part of her mind, to go unacknowledged for another year or so until her next darkest moment; the heat rising on the back of her tongue lingered dangerously, however. They stared at each other, the temperature in the room dropping steadily with every tick of the clock.

Every moment that—

The back door flew open.

Camilla and Severa’s heads snapped in unison towards the sound.

Elise and Corrin stared back from the doorway, noticeably wetter than they had been when they’d left. Their clothes were speckled with water droplets.

The sound of rain suddenly caught Severa’s ears. Heart sinking, she realized what was about to happen a split second before it did.

“…Hey,” Corrin said, awkwardly keeping a hand on Elise’s shoulder as they shut the door behind them and shuffled in. They clearly realized they had intruded on something. “Elise and I are going to change. Don’t worry about us.”

Elise’s eyes flickered between Severa and Camilla hesitantly. “Camilla—”

“Oh, you poor things.” Camilla rounded the couch without giving Severa a second glance. “Rain wasn’t in the forecast tonight. Come on, let’s get you some towels and something warm before you catch your death.”

Corrin and Elise were both old enough to do that themselves. They didn’t even look _that_ wet, Severa thought bitterly.

As if to spite her, the wind outside began to howl. The rain slammed against the window so hard it could have been mistaken for hail.

Corrin glanced at Severa apologetically before answering Camilla. “Oh, no, we can just change clothes. It’s fine.”

Camilla was already putting her arm around wide-eyed Elise’s shoulder and guiding her towards the kitchen.

“I must insist,” Camilla said sweetly, beckoning Corrin to follow. Looking reluctant—and a little strangely off kilter, Severa noticed—Corrin did. “We can’t afford either of you getting sick right now. Especially not since we’ll be in such close quarters. You’ll be miserable all week.”

Elise looked caught between the thrill of being doted on and Corrin’s reluctance. If the way she kept looking between all three of them was any indication, she hadn’t caught on to what Corrin had, although she suspected something was up. Camilla hadn’t spared Severa a single glance since her siblings had walked in.

“Maybe we can take our drinks to the bedroom?” Elise hesitantly suggested.

Camilla said, “In a minute. Let me get you a towel first.”

When she ducked into the bathroom, Severa broke.

Flush with anger and heat, she spun on her heel and marched into the bedroom she shared with Camilla without another word. She slammed the door shut and locked it behind her. Somebody might have said something about her abrupt departure, but it didn’t matter who it was or what was said. Severa ignored it all.

Tears had welled up in her eyes. A tall mirror hung on one wall, and Severa refused to look at it. She threw herself across the bed and shoved her face in a pillow, her shoulders shaking with every breath.

Camilla was never going to commit. Whether or not she had any feelings for Severa—and Severa was certain she _did_ , even if the last five minutes had been a real blow to her ego—she was never going to tell Severa what she needed to hear. Camilla was always going to keep the truth to herself. And she was always going to shut down or use her family as an excuse to drop the conversation whenever Severa tried to bring it up.

That would never change. Severa had known that before but—she _knew_ it now.

Camilla’s self-control, her poise, her love for her family—those were all qualities Severa had so greatly admired about her. Having them turned against Severa tonight had been like a slap in the face.

It shouldn’t have been so surprising, Severa thought bitterly, scrubbing the tears away from her wet, stinging eyes. She bit her lip hard so nobody outside the bedroom door would hear her heavy breathing and stupid, choked hiccups.

She’d known who Camilla was all along. It had been stupid to think anything would change just because Severa had finally asked her outright.

Severa would always, always be the one left in the dust.

That was how it had always been. And would always be, apparently.

It didn’t matter if they ever finished their conversation. She didn’t need to hear what Camilla would say anymore. She had gotten her answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this fic in one big chunk but split it up to make it easier to read. While you could go on to read chapter 2 right this second, if you're taking a break, going to sleep, or are just in the mood, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below or send me an ask on my [tumblr! ](http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/) I love those! :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Higanbana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for explanation of tags! For any concerns of triggers or anyone who wants more forewarning, feel free to hit me up in the comments or on my my [tumblr! ](http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/)
> 
> If you see any grammatical or formatting errors, feel free to let me know.

“Well?” Niles prompted, sounding amused. “How’d they take it?”

Owain tossed his phone aside, grinning dumbly. “Severa congratulated us, and I don’t think Inigo is checking is messages right now. They’ll probably have a lot to say tomorrow when I see them, though.”

Niles slid next to Owain on the couch. He leaned his face close to Owain’s, but this time Owain didn’t duck away. “Tomorrow? So then Leo and I get to trap you here for the rest of the night then.”

“A fiend you are,” Owain said playfully. He obviously wasn’t used to having Niles so close yet—not in this new context—but he looked happy. “Must I battle you for the sanctity of my innocence?”

“It’s not as fun if there’s not a little fight,” Niles said.

Leo watched their exchange from the bedroom doorway, pleased. They’d come a long way from the hesitance and reluctant replies of that afternoon. It had taken some coaxing for Owain to lay out every anxiety he had on the table. Leo still felt a bit raw from that himself. He and Niles had shared a few things too—things they had only shared with each other previously. They had talked for a good few hours, on and off. But it had all been for this:

In the end, when Leo and Niles had countered and assuaged Owain’s concerns to the best of their ability, he had kissed them.

And then—

Well, that had been that.

It had been late, late in the day by the time Leo snuck over to Xander’s cabin to grab the food originally intended for lunch and left again. Leo still felt full. Owain and Niles had periodically nibbled on some snacks since then, but neither had asked about eating anything more. He didn’t think any of them were hungry. And he hadn’t received any messages regarding dinner, so he presumed nobody else had been particularly hungry after lunch either. Or they had gotten the hint that Leo, Niles, and Owain weren’t to be disturbed at the moment. It was one or the other. Leo couldn’t bring himself to mind either possibility.

Outside, a storm had begun. The sound of the rain pattering against the windows was rather romantic, Leo thought. Perfect for a night in.

He’d changed into a looser pair of pants to sleep in and had lost his shirt completely. Niles and Owain were still fully dressed, but one way or another, they’d probably lose their day clothes soon enough.

Just as he had that thought, Leo watched Niles tilt his head and dip closer to Owain. Owain surged forward to meet his lips, perhaps a bit too eagerly. Niles smiled into the kiss as Owain, still getting used to the new dynamic but enthusiastic as ever, wrapped his arms around Niles’s shoulders and ran his fingers through Nile’s loose hair.

Leo ached to kiss both of them.

Instead, he swallowed and said, “Having fun?”

They broke apart. Niles had to turn around to look at Leo. His gaze obviously scanned Leo’s bare chest.

“You’re welcome to join us,” he said in a tone Leo recognized well.

He pretended to think about it. “This is quite the view, though. I’ve never gotten to see it before.”

Niles waggled his brows. “Think about how much better participating would be.”

“Hmm.” Leo tapped his chin. “And yet, you both only have one mouth each…”

“I have two hands,” Owain blurted.

Leo stared in surprise. Niles, startled, barked out a laugh.

Realizing what he’d just said, Owain’s face quickly went red. To his credit, however, his gaze didn’t waver.

This was how the relationship between the three of them had always been, one way or another. With the addition of Owain as a second romantic partner, Leo found himself suddenly enjoying it even more.

That was probably the new relationship high talking but—Well, he’d fantasized about what this would be like for a long time, and he and Niles had talked about it even more. He wasn’t going to begrudge himself a little bit of indulgence now.

“Well, who could argue with that?” Leo said, smiling.

He walked over to the couch.

* * *

With stray water droplets still running down the back of his neck, Xander loosely crossed his arms and leaned against the bedroom doorway. His eyes raked over Inigo, who lay on top of the covers of the bed.

Xander was the one more scantily dressed for once. Donning only his boxers, his fresh from the shower skin still felt overly warm to the cool cabin air. Inigo, in contrast, had slipped into a comfortable looking pair of sleeping pants, minus a shirt.

His eyes raked over the sight of Inigo sitting up against the headboard, the light from the bedside table lamp framing him warmly. Inigo had apparently cracked open a book he’d brought while waiting for Xander to shower, and he was already a few pages in.

Outside, the storm grew louder. A crack of thunder echoed somewhere far away.

Xander cleared his throat.

Inigo looked up. Whatever he saw in Xander’s face made him set his book aside, a grin playing at his lips. He’d looked tired earlier, but now he brightened.

Xander felt himself mirror the expression. It was late, but he couldn’t help but feel a little… playful, perhaps. Especially after Inigo had been practically pawing for his attention all day. That kind of behavior incited things in a man.

“Reading anything interesting?” Xander asked casually.

Inigo shrugged carelessly and didn’t give the book another glance. Xander had his full attention. “Not really. Just something Severa let me borrow earlier. Actually, I was thinking of going to bed soon.”

“Oh?” Xander stood a little straighter. “By yourself?”

Inigo’s teasing smile grew. “Well, I wouldn’t say no to the offer of company.”

He batted his eyelashes. A joke. But also an invitation—one Xander had yet to turn down.

Xander strode over to the bed in two quick steps. The bedroom was small compared to the living room, and he was a tall man. He couldn’t deny that he was eager to have Inigo in his arms again either.

They were alone now, after all.

Inigo welcomed him with open arms—arms that quickly wrapped around Xander’s neck when he laid himself atop Inigo. They shifted further down the mattress so Inigo could lay back without bumping his head against the headboard. Xander boxed him in from above, and in an instant Inigo’s lips were sliding against his like liquid heat.

They had kissed a thousand times before already. Several times over the course of the day, even. But this was not a kiss to be shared in front of others. Especially not when Xander shifted above Inigo, nipping at his bottom lip, and Inigo made a noise Xander hoped only he could hear for years to come.

 _Years._ Well. That thought had crept up on him, hadn’t it? That secret desire wasn’t exactly new either, but it was still a bit early to say that sort of thing aloud, Xander thought. So he shoved it to the back of his mind and relished the feel of Inigo under him instead, enjoying every breathy sound he managed to tease out of the other man.

When Xander pulled back for air, Inigo sighed. “Xander…”

His eyes fluttered open. Inigo looked up at Xander with an expression he couldn’t describe. It made his breath catch. Xander tried very hard to commit it to memory before it disappeared.

“Inigo,” he echoed softly.

Inigo apparently didn’t have anything else to add. He stared up at Xander expectantly. Outside, the rain fell in heavy sheets, the whole world drowned out except for the two of them. Xander could have watched Inigo lay there, vulnerable and just for him, for a long, long time.

But he wanted more than just to _look_ , so he eventually tore himself away from the sight of Inigo’s cute face and red lips to mouth at the curve of Inigo’s jaw instead. The barest hint of stubble grazed Xander’s chin. He moved down, sucking at Inigo’s neck in earnest.

Inigo ran his hands down Xander’s back, feeling Xander move under his palms like he’d once confessed to enjoying. There was something about the feel of Xander’s broad muscles shifting under hand when they were together like this, Inigo had once admitted, rather flustered. Xander took a sort of pride in that memory as he moved further south, swiping his tongue along Inigo’s sharp collarbone. He sucked mark after mark into Inigo’s skin, letting the sounds of rain and Inigo’s heavy breaths fill his ears.

His boxers grew tighter as he worked, but they were still loose enough for Xander to ignore for now and relish the taste of Inigo’s skin instead. So he did.

It took a while, but when he was finally satisfied with the bruises forming along Inigo’s neck and collar in the shape of his mouth—which Inigo would undoubtedly whine about with embarrassment when he had to wear a shirt while swimming tomorrow—Xander began kissing his way down Inigo’s chest.

Unlike when he’d been sucking hickeys into Inigo’s neck like he was a horny teenager who didn’t know the meaning of subtlety and not the grown man he was—which _Xander_ might have been embarrassed about later if others saw, even if he knew part of himself would always be privately, selfishly proud—he didn’t linger. He peppered kisses along Inigo’s shoulders, then further down. He ran his tongue over one of Inigo’s nipples but didn’t stay long there either despite the delicious sound Inigo made when he felt Xander’s mouth on his pec. Xander had other plans.

He nipped gently at the skin stretching across Inigo’s ribs. Inigo tangled his fingers in Xander’s hair, breathing in sharply.

_“Oh.”_

Xander lifted his head, catching both his breath and Inigo’s gaze. Inigo tilted his head back and visibly swallowed.

“You’re in a mood today,” Inigo said, his voice breathy.

Inigo’s grip in his hair was loose and familiar. Xander nosed the space above Inigo’s bellybutton, lips grazing the skin of his stomach.

“Are you complaining?” He ran his hands over Inigo’s thighs and spread them without waiting for an answer. “It simply can’t be helped. You brought this on yourself.”

“Me?” Inigo laughed. “What, because of earlier? And you have the nerve to call me clingy.”

“I said that _once_ ,” Xander said. Their tones were light. “And to be fair, such behavior is distracting for a multitude of reasons.”

“Apparently so,” Inigo agreed, eyes half-lidded. “You— _oh_.”

Xander had finally reached Inigo’s waist. He’d been rubbing circles against Inigo’s thighs for a while, and now he mouthed at the hem of Inigo’s pants, only a few scant inches north of where they both wanted him to be.

Smirking, Xander placed one last kiss against Inigo’s stomach and then rose to his knees between Inigo’s legs, ignoring Inigo’s soft whine of protest at his pulling away.

“Hush,” Xander said softly, sliding his hands down Inigo’s clothed legs without much thought. “Have some patience. I’ll take care of you.”

Inigo had laced his fingers behind his head. His grin was cocky, but Xander was more focused on the brilliant flush on his cheeks. The same red bled down his neck and chest as well. Incredible. “Oh, you’ll _take care_ of me, will you?”

His face was much too pink to be taken seriously. Inigo looked ridiculous and gorgeous in equal measure.

Xander shook his head. “Bold words for a man at my mercy.”

“Oh, so I’m at your mercy now?” Inigo did not wiggle his brows, but it seemed to be a near thing. “Should we be breaking out any nicknames or safe words tonight? I promise not to judge, though I will say I would have appreciated you saying something a few months ago if dominance was on your list of kinks.”

Xander let out an amused huff.

Inigo dropped the joke, although something about the look on his face told Xander that the topic would come up again at some point. But he laid back without another word, and so Xander took it as a win for now.

He hadn’t forgotten about the situation in his own underwear yet either. There was a growing sense of urgency between his legs. Still, Xander another stole a moment to rake his eyes over Inigo’s form, all stretched out for Xander to do with as he pleased. They had all night before them. He absentmindedly squeezed Inigo’s ankle while he thought about what to do next.

To his surprise, Inigo jerked his leg back as though Xander had dug his nails in and truly pinched him. Inigo let out a painful hiss as he sat up.

Xander instantly released him. He looked at Inigo with a startled expression. They stared at each other for a moment in surprise until Inigo, still wincing, slowly began to straighten his leg out again.

“Sorry, sorry—”

“Are you alright? Did I hurt you just now?”

Their voices overlapped.

He hadn’t thought he’d been squeezing very hard at all but perhaps—

Then Xander caught sight of Inigo’s bare foot for the first time that day. Previously hidden by the cuff of Inigo’s pants, he caught sight of the mottled ring of blue and purple bruises that encircled Inigo’s ankle, exactly where Xander’s fingers had been. Xander certainly hadn’t been the one to cause them, however. The bruises were clearly older and larger than any damage Xander could have caused in the split second he’d squeezed Inigo’s ankle.

Inigo was sporting one of the most painful looking bruises Xander had ever seen in his life. Had he seen it earlier, Xander would have expected Inigo to be walking around with a limp. He quickly wracked his brain and couldn’t recall Inigo doing so, however.

“It’s fine,” Inigo said, hastily shoving his pant leg back down as though Xander could forget what he had just seen. “I just twisted it earlier. It’s nothing. It doesn’t even hurt. You just startled me, is all.”

Those were a lot of excuses at once. Xander barely processed them.

He placed his hand on top of Inigo’s, stilling his movements while being careful not to touch anywhere that might hurt.

“You twisted it? When?” He dragged his eyes away from the now hidden discoloration of skin and back to Inigo’s face.

Inigo anxiously averted his eyes. “When we were hiking earlier.”

“I don’t remember you falling.” Xander thought Inigo had been next to him nearly the whole time.

Inigo shrugged sheepishly and pushed some hair out of his face with his free hand. “I don’t think anybody noticed. I mean, _I_ didn’t even notice until later. It doesn’t even hurt, really. Not unless you touch it.”

“I apologize,” Xander said again, reflexively. He wanted to press a kiss against Inigo’s bruise but wasn’t sure how well that would be received after having just startled Inigo so badly. “I should have noticed.” A beat passed, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Just… wasn’t thinking,” Inigo said. “It really doesn’t hurt.” He cracked a smile. “I should have told you, though. There’s nothing sexier than looking as though you’ve been caught in a bear trap, I’m pretty sure.”

“It’s not about what’s appealing or not,” Xander said, furrowing his brow. “I’d always like to know when you’re hurt. You’re my partner. It’s important that I know these things.” He tenderly brushed Inigo’s clothed ankle with the tip of his fingers and frowned harder. “Did you ice this?”

“Ah—Not yet. It’s probably too late now.”

There was something fluttery about the way Inigo was acting, but that might have been because he felt he had ruined the mood, Xander thought. Inigo tended to get embarrassed about that sort of thing. He gently curled his fingers around Inigo’s, more mindful of his strength this time.

Inigo smiled melted into something less antsy and more genuine. He turned his hand around in Xander’s grasp so he could squeeze back. “I’m fine, really. It’s nothing.”

“Even so,” Xander said and then let the words hang between them.

Inigo kissed him. After a moment, Xander let his hesitance slip away and kissed him back. There was less urgency in their movements now, though no less warmth.

Relationships were about communication and trust. If Inigo said he was okay, then Xander would trust him. He hadn’t given any indication he’d been in pain before Xander had put weight on his bruising earlier, so Inigo was probably being honest when he said it didn’t hurt, he figured.

He was still mindful of Inigo’s ankle for the rest of the night, however. And in the end, he did end up reverently kissing his way up Inigo’s legs the way he had originally wanted to, eventually getting to the place he and Inigo had wanted him to find all along. By that point, the memory of Inigo’s pained yelp and the awkward moment that followed was nearly forgotten. Then Xander got to hear the other noises Inigo could make, given the right incentive.

He fell asleep grateful for the rain. Nobody outside the cabin could hear anything over the sound of the downpour outside, but Xander got to hear everything and then some.

* * *

Inigo definitely preferred sunny weather above all else.

If asked, however, he would have admitted to how easily he’d fallen asleep to the soothing drone of the rain the night before, after he and Xander had finished with their, ah, activities. Even the intermittent cracks of thunder had barely registered in his ears once Xander had crawled back on top of him. To be honest, he’d been so lost in the feel of Xander’s mouth on his that there were a _lot_ of things he’d barely noticed by that point.

(That was very deliberate on Inigo’s part. He had used Xander’s heat and willingness to as an excuse to _not_ think about a great many things, Xander’s easy acceptance of his lie the night before among them.

He’d only think about good things from now on, he’d decided. At least until they got back home. That’s what he’d resolved to do in the shower after—Well, _after._ Inigo couldn’t afford to think in specifics or details about what had transpired that day or why his ankle only ached when he touched it with his fingertips. He had a mind that wandered too easily in the face of those sorts of things. Especially when he was alone.

Which was why he’d resolved not to be alone if he could help it. At least until this vacation was over. Inigo was _not_ going to let his melancholy brain drag him into places he didn’t want to go. Not this time.

Only good thoughts. Only good times. No ruining this vacation for anyone—even himself. Whatever it took.)

That said, the way the ground had practically melted into mud by the next morning was much less desirable. Xander was an early riser, and so Inigo had been roused quite early by proxy, despite the heaviness that had been clinging to his limbs since the day before. They had stayed in bed for a short while, but it hadn’t been long before Xander had begun to get ready for the day.

Inigo had eventually stumbled out of bed after him. Drawn outside by the cool mist lingering over the lake and eager to soak up the scenery before the air turned overly muggy with summer heat, he had taken one step off the back deck and immediately found himself up to his ankles in mud.

(Thankfully, the pressure of cool mud on his ankle hadn’t—

No. No thinking about that. About anything even tangentially related to that.)

It had been his own fault for going outside without shoes, Xander had told him, a cup of steaming coffee in hand. Inigo had given him an unimpressed look and carefully tiptoed his way into the bathroom for a shower.

Another hike was off the table until the ground firmed up a bit then. Which was fine by Inigo. He wasn’t sure how eager everyone would be to do the exact same thing they had done the day before anyway.

Besides, he felt _very_ tired, despite having slept like a log the night before. He didn’t think he could do anything too physical today.

Everyone else had woken up at their own pace. Inigo had caught sight of Owain returning from his jog, looking strangely happy for a man splattered with so much mud. He’d been sure to snap a picture before Owain disappeared back into his own cabin. The group chat buzzed with intermittent messages as everyone awoke for the day, and the day’s plans were decided.

Inigo caught himself up on missed texts while waiting for everyone to get ready. And wow, were they _juicy._ A few from Owain in particular.

Snickering, Inigo looked at Xander from over the top of his phone.

Xander stopped scrolling through work emails long enough to give him a look. “What’s so funny?”

Inigo merely laughed again. Xander, looking vaguely amused but clearly not wanting to test it, went back to his computer.

He couldn’t wait to see how Xander reacted to the news of his baby brother’s relationship update. But Inigo wanted to watch that unfold naturally, so he kept his mouth shut for the moment.

The morning mist lingered for a while longer than he expected, but it had fully faded by the time Elise—the last to awaken—readied herself for their trip into town.

“Is everyone ready?” Xander asked, raising his voice to be heard across the three lawns with everyone milling around the cars. He slipped an arm around Inigo’s shoulders.

Inigo subtly leaned against him, taking some of the weight off his bruised ankle. It wasn’t swollen and didn’t even hurt anymore—that much had not been a lie—but it seemed like a good idea not to stand on it too much anyway. Xander pulled Inigo affectionately closer but otherwise did not seem to notice.

“Almost!” Elise called back. She hopped away from Camilla’s large car and back into her own cabin, clearly in search of something.

Xander kissed the top of Inigo’s head and went to go help Elise with whatever she was fiddling with inside. Inigo stayed back and surveyed everyone.

The cars were lined up in order of the cabins—Leo’s sleek and small car at the front, then Camilla’s monster SUV, then Xander’s, and then finally Inigo’s little car, clearly the cheapest of the lot, at the end of the line. The others were milling around their respective cars.

Owain looked like he was walking on air that morning. His smile hadn’t faltered once, and Inigo, though he’d very purposely tuned Owain out after the first five minutes, had yet to see an end to his constant chatter either. He was clearly in a good mood. Leo and Niles, always circling each other and Owain like sharks, were clearly just as pleased.

It was no wonder why. They had been dancing around each other for months. Inigo was truly happy they had finally gotten their relationship sorted out. He’d texted a message along those lines to Owain that morning, but he wanted to say it again, in person.

He also still planned on dunking on Owain as soon as they were alone together and particularly out of earshot of Niles, who knew just what to say to make Inigo want to shove his head in the sand and never come up again at any given moment. But, hey—What else were friends for?

Severa, on the other hand…

Something had happened with her as well.

She stomped over to Xander’s car where Inigo waited, growing increasingly warm from standing in the sun. Her cloudy expression was partially obscured by the rather large but stylish sunglasses shielding her eyes. Though her hair was tied up, the absence of her signature black ribbons and the wrinkled appearance of her shirt added to the strangeness.

“I’m riding with you,” Severa announced, apropos nothing. She came to a halt next to Inigo and crossed her arms.

Inigo hesitated. He glanced over to where Camilla stood by her own car, not looking particularly bothered by anything as she chatted with Corrin. When she saw him looking, Severa’s lips pressed into an even tighter line.

“Fine by me,” Inigo said quickly. “Xander won’t complain either. But, ah, if you don’t mind me asking, why—”

“No questions,” Severa said firmly.

In the distance, Elise came bounding out of her cabin with Xander trailing after her. They were out of time to talk, so Inigo put his hands up in surrender. “Noted.”

Severa’s glower lessened only slightly, but Inigo didn’t take it personally. He’d felt the full force of her anger directed at him before, and this wasn’t it.

In any case, if Severa didn’t want to tell him why she wouldn’t be riding with Camilla like usual when they were in private, she certainly wasn’t going to say so in front of Camilla’s brother. Xander was nearly upon them again.

Noticing this, Severa climbed into the back seat without another word. The car was idling with the air conditioning running to keep it cool in the summer heat, but somehow the frosty air surrounding Severa felt colder.

“Yikes,” Inigo said under his breath. He glanced back down the road and saw Corrin looking in their direction curiously. They must have seen Severa getting into Xander’s car.

He didn’t have an answer for them, so he just smiled apologetically.

His gaze slid over to Camilla. She hadn’t seemed to have noticed Severa’s absence. Camilla was now leaned against the door to her SUV, and she scrolled through her phone without lifting her head. Her expression was as unreadable as ever.

As soon as Corrin wasn’t looking anymore, Inigo felt his smile drop. Endless possibilities about what had transpired between Severa and Camilla swirled through his head, none of them good. Then Xander was there again, and Inigo had to shove those thoughts away.

“Hey there,” Inigo said, allowing Xander to kiss him on the cheek again. “Are we all set?”

“I think so.” Xander looked over Inigo’s shoulder. “Why is Severa laying along the back seat of the car?”

Inigo struggled to answer that. “We’re all going to the same place, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but she usually rides with Camilla,” Xander said. He frowned curiously.

The car doors were shut, but Severa could probably hear them still. Inigo tried to find an answer that would be fair to both his friend and his boyfriend.

“Camilla’s car tends to be energetic,” Inigo said with a wave of his hand. “I think Severa’s a little tired, so she probably wants to nap in the quietest car until we get into town.”

Xander turned his head. Inigo followed his gaze over to where Elise was chattering at Corrin and Camilla excitedly, then further down towards Odin and Niles, who were doing a remarkable job of invading Leo’s space in what looked to be the most obnoxious manner possible. Odin’s nonsensical speech easily carried on the wind, and Elise was no less loud.

Xander nodded understandingly. “We can do our best to accommodate her then. We’ll keep the radio off.”

“Or on low,” Inigo suggested, because he wasn’t actually going to give up _all_ his earthly pleasures for Severa, even for just a morning. “She sleeps better with a little sound anyway.”

Which was true, to be fair.

Xander nodded again and began rounding the car. “You can catch a little sleep if you’d like as well. You were up early too.”

“Are you calling me lazy?” Inigo teased. “I’m wide awake, thank you.”

“Really? I would have expected you to be just a little tired after last night. You usually are.”

If they had been alone, Inigo might have said something clever or funny. Or so he told himself. Instead, he froze while opening the passenger side door. His cheeks warmed. Sprawled across the back seat, Severa did not react, but he knew she had to have heard.

Xander chuckled at his embarrassment, utterly shameless for a man Inigo had accused of being a prude more than once. Inigo got into the car with an exaggerated huff.

Their getting ready acted as a silent signal to the others. Everyone else climbed into their respective vehicles as well—Camilla, Elise, and Corrin getting into Camilla’s car and Leo, Niles, and Owain leading the charge in Leo’s.

Inigo caught sight of Elise craning her neck around curiously as everyone got in their cars, presumably looking for Severa. He also saw Corrin guiding Elise into the spacious back seat of Camilla’s SUV with a gentle touch and some quiet words.

His curiosity renewed, he couldn’t help glance at Severa in the rearview mirror. He couldn’t see her eyes behind the shadow of her shades. She didn’t react.

Xander did make Severa sit up and put her seatbelt on before he was willing to shift into drive, however, so Inigo knew she hadn’t spontaneously died despite her uncharacteristic silence.

The drive into town was quiet from there. Severa clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk, and Inigo didn’t try and prompt her. Likely trying to be mindful of Severa’s supposed tiredness, Xander didn’t say much either.

He was a conscientious driver, Inigo knew. But at red lights, he allowed Inigo to reach across the divider and hold his hand. Inigo relished that warmth in his palm.

They arrived in town after what felt like no time at all, though realistically Inigo knew it had taken a good several minutes to navigate out of the thin, twisting roads that threaded their way through the surrounding campgrounds and onto the main highway. The sun had shone warmly when they’d left the cabin, but the good weather didn’t last. By the time Xander parked in front of a strip of old-fashioned looking stores that would have looked more at home on a 1940’s movie set, thick gray clouds had taken over the sky.

It only took another minute for Leo and Camilla to park nearby and the passengers of all three cars gather in front of the shops.

The air had begun to thicken with moisture, Inigo noted nervously as they gathered, but luckily most of the stores in this area seemed to be connected under a shared wooden awning. If it began to rain, they’d at least be able to shelter themselves easily.

“Wow, I feel like we’re in cowboy territory,” Elise said with some wonder as she looked around. “I don’t remember seeing these shops when we drove down here.”

“We came in from the other direction,” Leo reminded her.

Corrin followed Elise’s gaze, giving the area a solid once-over. “I have to admit, it does feel like we should be standing in the middle of a desert. The architecture here really is something. This must be what people mean when they say ‘tourist town.’”

Elise had gotten it right with ‘cowboy territory,’ Inigo thought. The homely looking shops, the smallish hand-carved canoe that had been hung above a door as some sort of strange decoration, the fact _everything_ seemed to be made out of wood—if they passed a real saloon, Inigo didn’t think he’d be surprised.

He shifted his weight and wondered if whoever had designed this place had worked some benches into the architecture. His limbs were still heavy with sleep.

“It does have that rustic feel, doesn’t it?” he asked rhetorically. “It still looks worth exploring though. Worst case scenario, we kill a few hours while the rain hits. Where to first?”

“I’m open to anything,” Xander said.

Camilla hummed loudly in performative thought. “I think I see a few clothing shops down the street there. I doubt they have my usual style, but I’m sure they’d be quaint.”

“I’ll come with you!” Elise immediately volunteered. She began pointing out shops in the distance and reading the names aloud to see if any held some appeal. Judging from the faces Leo and Niles were making at each other, however, not everyone was as interested in looking at clothes as the two sisters.

“I wouldn’t mind stepping in a few places myself,” Corrin said diplomatically.

Xander looked at Inigo. “What are you interested in?”

He opened his mouth to reply and then hesitated, glancing off to his side.

Severa was the resident shopaholic among them, and yet she didn’t look interested in any of the stores Elise was pointing out. Even more distressing was the way she seemed to curl in on herself every time Camilla opened her mouth—like Camilla’s voice alone was painful to hear.

Inigo’s chest tweaked with sympathy.

“Actually,” he said as he hooked Severa’s arm with his own, ignoring the way her head jerked in his direction at the sudden touch. “I think I see some shops down the other way that look a bit more interesting—no offense. I wanted to ask Severa for some shopping advice anyway, so why don’t we split up?”

“Split up?” Elise said. She looked sad. “I thought we were all going to be together again today.”

“We are,” Inigo assured her. He glanced at Severa for help, but she gave him a look that said he was on his own. “Camilla and Corrin already said they’d go with you. It’s just that…”

He was miraculously saved from having to explain himself when Leo cut in to say, “To be fair, Elise, I don’t think all of us find clothes shopping to be our idea of a good time.”

“Oh.” Elise looked around. “It doesn’t have to be clothes! That’s just what Camilla was interested in. But we can… Uh…”

She was looking around for something new, but most of the shops within view seemed to be little boutiques.

Xander came in for the rescue this time. “We’ll all be in the same area no matter if we split up or not. None of us will be going very far.”

“That’s true,” Corrin said. “Most of these stores don’t look like they could hold all nine of us inside at the same time anyway.”

“Aw, you’re probably right,” Elise conceded, deflating. “I guess it is better to split up then.”

She was practically clinging to Camilla’s arm, so there was little doubt as to who she’d be going with. Inigo almost didn’t want to bring up the question of division at all, lest it become too obvious that he was trying to get Severa away from Camilla.

“Great!” he said, shooting Xander a grin for unknowingly coming to the rescue a moment before. “It’s decided then. Owain, are you coming?”

“Me?” Owain didn’t immediately catch on to the meaningful look Inigo was sending him. “Actually, I planned on—”

“Why don’t you go with them?” This time it was Niles who had interrupted someone. “We’ll be getting enough of each other when we get back to the cabins anyway. Unless you just can’t get enough of us now?”

The look Niles sent him was so flirtatious that it had Owain sputtering. Next to Niles, Leo not so subtly looked away, embarrassed, although his hand lingered on Niles’s wrist.

Before he’d read Owain’s text that morning, Inigo might have brushed the exchange off as extreme flirting. But now that he knew of the shift in relationship status, Niles’s comments seemed a lot more bold. Inigo had no idea if any of the siblings had caught on to the same thing or not.

Leo jumped in before Xander could make that constipated look he made whenever Niles insinuated something with a person who wasn’t his little brother—although he sometimes made the same face when the comments were directed at Leo anyway, Inigo concede.

“Oh, don’t make a scene,” Leo said casually. Perhaps too casually. “It’s too early for jokes. Owain, you can go with them. Niles and I will be checking out a bookstore I saw on the way here.”

“Oh, a bookstore,” Niles said with faux enthusiasm. “How could I ever say no?”

Leo sent him an amused sidelong glance. On his other side, Owain looked over at Severa and Inigo and _finally_ seemed to notice something amiss. He straightened.

“Then I shall go with my stalwart companions!” He left Leo and Niles’s group to join Inigo and Severa’s. Cheekily, he added, “I want to make fun of whatever outfits Inigo picks out anyway.”

“Hey!” Inigo protested.

Owain stuck out his tongue. Inigo stuck his out too.

“Thank you, children,” Camilla said, making Owain and Inigo closed their mouths. Then she turned her head. “Xander?”

“I’ll go with you,” Xander said. Inigo blinked in surprise; he’d thought Xander would want to go with him. This was more convenient, though, so he didn’t protest. “I saw a few stores down on that end that looked interesting. I can join Leo and Niles in the bookstore if they’re not.”

“Perfect,” Corrin said with a clap. “Let’s meet up again in a few hours for lunch then.”

Elise looked a little happier at the prospect of a group lunch. “That sounds good!”

Severa hadn’t said a word in several minutes. Inigo glanced at her worriedly, but her face was carefully blank behind her sunglasses. It was a miracle nobody else had noticed her silence.

No, that wasn’t right. Corrin had caught Inigo’s gaze again and made a sympathetic face in Severa’s direction, and Inigo was sure from Leo and Niles’s coded glances to one another that they had noticed something was amiss as well. But none of them commented on it, and for that, Inigo was grateful.

“So it has been decided!” Owain whirled on his foot and pointed towards one end of the street. “Let us make for the four corners of the wind!”

“You mean the four corners of the world?” Corrin said.

Owain didn’t answer because he was already running ahead, of course. Nobody seemed surprised by this.

Inigo gave Xander a quick peck goodbye before whisking Severa down the street. Owain stood waiting for them on the deck of a store several buildings down, and through unspoken understanding they all waited for the others to fade out of sight before speaking.

“Okay, two things,” Inigo said once they were in the clear. He dropped Severa’s arm and tried to ignore how weird it was that she hadn’t told him to let go of her sooner.

He whirled on Owain. “Firstly, congratulations on finally getting together with your crushes. That’s really great. I’m genuinely happy for you.”

Owain beamed. “Thank you! It was a long and treacherous journey. I shall spare you the finer details, but rest assured, my bond with—”

“Yeah, okay,” Inigo interrupted. “I definitely am going to grill you on this later, but there’s a more pressing matter at hand here. Remind me to make fun of you later for not picking petals off daisies anymore.”

“Wha—I am no forlorn maiden! Owain Dark has always—”

“Owain _Dork_ messaged Severa a bunch of memes about not knowing how to talk to your crush. That’s the modern equivalent of picking daisies.”

“You are my nemesis in this, as in all things, and even upon the happiest of morns,” Owain said. “Need I remind you how you cried when—”

“Later.” Inigo held up a hand. “Now, moving on to number two.”

He turned to Severa, who still had yet to react. “Severa—"

“I know what you’re doing,” Severa said loudly, arms crossed. Some of the fight had come back to her deflated form. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

They might have been the first words he’d heard her speak since getting on the highway.

Of course she’d known what he was doing. But she hadn’t protested, which told Inigo that she did want his help on some level, even if her pride didn’t like it. Since she still hadn’t run away now that they were separated from the group—from Camilla—he decided to push his luck.

“I can see that,” he said. “However, I’m pretty sure everybody else is going to notice how much you’re not talking sooner rather than later, and it's going to be much easier to keep _them_ from asking questions if you tell us what’s up.”

He flashed Severa the friendliest smile he could muster while Owain, for once not completely oblivious, said something semi-reasonable.

“Exactly! Let us hear your tale of sorrow and woe, Severa! Our indigo friend and I shall listen with open ears and hearts!”

“My life isn’t a TV drama made for your amusement,” she snapped at Owain. “And I don’t need help from either of you! I don’t need anyone.”

“Now that’s not true,” Inigo said, raising a hand to lay on Severa’s shoulder. From the look she gave him, however, he laid it back down. “We all need someone to lean on every now and again. And you know you can tell us anything.”

“You listened to me complain about my romantic plights many a time,” Owain said. “And you have been there in many of my times of need. Inigo and I are here to do the same for you. What ails your heart, friend? What storm cloud has laid itself upon your shoulders?”

Severa glowered.

Inigo tried to think of something helpful to say. Owain, of course, stopped being helpful immediately.

“That look on your face,” he said, slipping further into character. “Yes, I know it well. Something has upset you greatly. What was it? Something on the social medias?”

“Owain,” Inigo started, eyes darting between them.

“Is it your mother then? Or this vacation? Something Corrin said? Something Camilla— _Oof_!”

Inigo elbowed Owain in the side, but it was too late. Severa stomped her foot so fiercely it was a wonder her leg didn’t shoot right through the wood of the deck.

“I already said I don’t want to talk!” Severa said loudly. “Gods, do either of you even _listen_ when I speak, or do you just like the sound of your own voices?”

They were lucky the streets were deserted this early in the morning or else people would have turned to stare at the sound of Severa’s voice. Inigo and Owain winced and took two hasty steps backwards. Severa noticed and flushed even more—though out of embarrassment or anger, he couldn’t tell.

“Okay,” Inigo said gently, sharing a quick, panicked look with Owain. “That’s alright. I’m sorry we pushed. We didn’t mean to pressure you. We’ll back off now.”

“We’ll even give you some alone time if you’d like,” Owain hastily added. “We can meet up later if you want some time by yourself.”

Inigo nodded quickly. “Yep. Or we can do that.”

“Whatever,” Severa grumbled after a beat. Her voice held less intensity this time. Her shoulders had deflated somewhat, and it looked like whatever anger had been fueling her was once more being drained away and replaced with exhaustion. She stared at her feet.

Inigo tried to silently ask Owain what he wanted to do, and of course Owain sent him a confused look back. He grimaced.

“I can still see you making faces, you know,” Severa said. Owain and Inigo tensed up again.

Just when Inigo was on the verge of suggesting he and Owain leave Severa for a while, she huffed.

“Just…” She breathed out through her nose and shook her head. “Sit down for a second.”

A little bench sat only a few feet away, and Severa plopped herself down in the center it, taking up as much room as possible. Inigo and Owain tentatively sat down on either side of her. He caught sight of the sky as he sat and took note of how the clouds now resembled charcoal.

Another minute or so passed in silence as they sat there. The streets were still blessedly empty, although now Inigo almost wished somebody else would walk by, if only to make the street feel less strangely deserted. He couldn’t even make out any strangers through the dusty window of the boutique they had plopped down in front of.

With Severa sitting between them, face drawn and lips pressed together, he couldn’t make any more faces at Owain either.

Eventually, Severa spoke again without looking at either of them.

“If I tell you what happened, you have to promise not to be dramatic about it.”

“Dramatic?” Inigo echoed. “Us?”

“Never!” Owain said.

Severa sent them both a glare before returning to staring at her feet.

Inigo knocked their shoulders together lightly. “Okay, okay. I promise.”

“And I solemnly swear,” Owain said, because he was just like that.

Severa’s mouth twisted. Another few beats passed before she continued.

“Camilla and I had a talk last night.”

Inigo felt his heart sink. He’d suspected Severa’s mood had something to do with Camilla, but to have it confirmed…

The next words to come out of Severa’s mouth wouldn’t be good, he thought. And he was right.

“I basically told her how I felt,” she said glumly. “I said it was dumb of us to beat around the bush for so long and we should just go out already. I thought it was now or never, you know?”

“…And?” Owain prompted after a moment of silence.

Severa flexed her fingers. “And she basically told me I was making things up and that I was stupid for ever thinking she liked me.”

Owain hissed through his teeth.

Inigo felt his heart break. “Oh, Severa…”

“And then Elise and Corrin came in,” Severa said, blinking hard, “and Camilla started ignoring me, so then I went to bed.”

Her lower lip trembled. Inigo was already wrapping his arm around Severa and pulling her close. Owain leaned his head on her shoulder and took her hand in his own.

“Severa,” Inigo said. He was at a loss for words. He kissed the top of her head and smiled weakly when Severa swatted at him.

“Stop it,” she said without heat, limp in his and Owain’s arms. “I told you not to be dramatic.”

“I’m not,” Inigo said.

“You’re crying,” Severa accused.

He sniffed wetly.

“I always forget you’re a crybaby,” Owain said, “until you start doing something like this.”

“I’m very empathetic!” Inigo tried to defend himself. “I can’t help it!”

“You’re as bad as Brady.”

“I absolutely am not.” Inigo’s tears were already drying, gone as quickly as they’d appeared. He quickly wiped the last of the wetness away. “Nobody could ever compare to Brady. He cries when flowers grow on the sidewalk.”

He felt Owain shrug. “Fair enough.”

Severa hiccupped a laugh. She wiped at her own eyes suspiciously, and Owain and Inigo dutifully ignored the movement.

“Anyway,” Inigo said with a slightly more subdued tone, “I really can’t help it. I’m heartbroken, you know.”

“ _You’re_ heartbroken?” Rather than be angry, Severa laughed again. “I’m the one who just got rejected!”

“I know.” Inigo sent her a lopsided smile. “But your heartbreak is my heartbreak. It’s the empathy, I told you.”

“And because we love you,” Owain said, squeezing Severa’s hand, “even if Camilla doesn’t. You’re too wonderful _not_ to love. Your sadness is our sadness too.”

“And we can all be sad together until you’re done being sad,” Inigo finished.

Severa laughed a third time, but it sounded more like a scoff. It was suspiciously wetter this time too.

“That’s just the thing,” she said. “I think Camilla _does_ …” She caught herself and ducked her head. “I mean, not _love_ , probably. But… I really thought she—that she might have—”

“It’s okay,” Owain said gently. Severa swallowed hard and didn’t say anything else for a moment.

Damn. Inigo held her tighter, and he saw Owain press in closer too. His heart was breaking for a second time in as many minutes.

To tell Severa she was _stupid_ for imagining Camilla might like her back… Even if Severa was paraphrasing—which Inigo severely hoped she was because otherwise he and Camilla would be having words, his boyfriend’s sister or not—the words clearly pained her to say. Severa _felt_ stupid, whether or not Camilla had said as much, and that might have been the worst part of all. Rejection hurt in general. To be rejected the way Severa described…

“I thought she did too,” Owain said solemnly. It took a second for Inigo to realize he was referring to Camilla. “But whether she does or doesn’t, she shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. That was uncalled for.”

“Definitely,” Inigo agreed. “Has she been ignoring you ever since?”

“Basically.” Severa sounded absolutely pitiful. “I locked myself in the bedroom after that. I think she slept on the couch. I don’t even know if Corrin and Elise noticed or not.”

What the others knew or didn’t know was a problem for later. Inigo pushed that aside for now.

“Do you want to sleep in my cabin until it’s over?” he offered. “I’m sure Xander won’t mind.”

“And say what?” Severa straightened slightly, and Inigo’s loosened his arm around her as she looked at him accusingly. “You’re not going to _tell him_ any of this, are you?”

“Not if you’re going to phrase it like that,” Inigo said. He hadn’t really thought he could tell Xander the truth anyway, much as he disliked keeping secrets. The tension and awkwardness between the siblings would just be too great, whatever the outcome.

“What about my cabin?” Owain asked.

Severa grimaced. “And be stuck surrounded by your honeymoon vibes? No thanks.”

Inigo wrinkled his nose.

“So you’re just going to keep sharing a bedroom with her for the rest of the week? Are you really okay with that?”

“Unless I drive myself home with the car I don’t have,” Severa huffed. “I’m stuck in that bedroom, and so is Camilla. We just have to deal with it like adults.”

“You can probably keep alternating who sleeps on the couch,” Inigo suggested.

“And let everyone else get suspicious and ask what’s wrong?” Severa said incredulously. But there was a hesitance about her that told Inigo she wasn’t entirely rejecting the idea either, probably because she hated the idea of sleeping in the same bed as Camilla even more.

“Well,” Owain said meaningfully, waiting until they were both looking his way to continue. He’d sat upright as well. “Inigo, you brought _your_ car, didn’t you?”

“Yeah?” Then Inigo caught on. “Oh! Right! Severa, you can just drive my car back home. I’ll ride back with Xander when the week is up, and you can return my car after I’m get back.”

Severa looked surprised. “Really?”

Inigo shrugged. Owain and Severa had each driven his car before, albeit never under quite these circumstances. “It’s not like I’d be stranded. There are four cars between the lot of us. Three will still do us just fine.”

Severa hesitated.

“Nobody would blame you,” Owain said encouragingly. “And if you don’t want anyone to know what happened, we can all say you got food poisoning after lunch or something.”

“Why force yourself to be miserable for the rest of the week if you don’t have to be?” Inigo said.

“I…”

Severa grabbed both one of Inigo and Owain’s hands in either of her own and squeezed.

“Thank you,” she said. “Really. And… I might think about that offer, if it still stands later. But…”

She looked down the street. Inigo followed her gaze, thinking one of the others might have been headed their way, but it was still deserted.

When Inigo looked back, she continued, “I told Corrin we were going to make this a trip to remember. I don’t want to make things weird for them if I leave suddenly and somebody figured out why. And besides, this is my vacation too.”

She sniffed, but her eyes were dry now and her cheeks less flushed. She looked more herself.

“I’m going to buy a lot of cute outfits,” Severa announced suddenly. “We’re going to every store in this plaza, and we’re not leaving until I find something that makes me look so good, even Camilla knows I’m out of her league. She’s going to feel like a moron for ever calling _me_ dumb.”

Inigo clapped her on the back with a grin. “That’s the spirit!”

“Camilla is _not_ going to ruin this vacation for me,” Severa declared.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Owain hopped to his feet. “We’re wasting daylight! Whatever fashionable assistance you may need, Inigo and I will give it!”

Severa snorted. “Just remember you said that when you’re carrying all my bags later.”

“Ah,” Owain said smartly, faltering.

Inigo suddenly remembered all the times he had avoided going to shopping malls with Severa for that exact reason. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to hold twenty shopping bags for five hours straight today.

He shared a grimace with Owain.

As Severa picked a store seemingly at random and marched inside, Owain reluctantly following at her heels, Inigo couldn’t help but watch and marvel at the straight line of her back. She’d looked nearly broken before, and now Severa stood tall, shoulders squared. She had always been so resilient, he thought. Whatever way this turned out, he knew Severa would make it through.

Still, his heart ached with sympathy and the hope it wouldn’t be that bad in the end.

* * *

Elise held up a lace dress. “What about this?”

“That’s cute,” Corrin said encouragingly. “You can add it to the ‘try-on’ pile, if you want.”

“Very cute,” Xander agreed when Elise looked at him for judgement. “Try it on. Try anything on. We have all morning ahead of us.”

Elise smiled the way only a sunbeam could, chirped a happy thanks, and draped the dress over her arm to join the other garments she’d already picked up. She eyed the racks some more as she and Corrin began to wander towards the dressing room.

They looked happy to be spending time together like this, Xander noted gladly. He was pleased as well; after all the time Corrin had been spending with their other siblings as of late, it felt good to have several uninterrupted days in one another’s company—even if Leo had taken the first opportunity he could to peel away from the group to find that bookstore he’d mentioned earlier.

“Oh, Corrin, look at these!”

“Earrings?” Corrin peered closer at the jewelry rack. “They’re nice, but I thought your ears weren’t pierced?”

“I could get them pierced,” Elise suggested. “I’ve been thinking about it. Camilla had her earrings when she was way younger than me, didn’t she?”

Corrin chuckled and spun the rack to look at more jewelry. “Well, you might want to be asking Xander about getting your ears pierced before you start making plans.”

Elise looked towards him pleadingly. “Xander?”

This was the first he was hearing about this.

“We can talk about it later,” he said.

“That’s not a no!” Elise eyed the various earrings excitedly.

He hesitated. Inigo’s ears were pierced, he remembered. Xander would have to ask him for advice. Him and Camilla. “Later.”

“I bet Camilla can convince him,” Elise whispered to Corrin conspiratorially, loud enough for Xander to hear across the floor.

“I heard that,” Xander said. Undoubtedly Camilla heard it too.

But Camilla said nothing. When Elise and Corrin conspicuously looked his way, Xander sent them—what he believed to be, though Inigio might have said he still needed to work on his facial expressions—a playfully stern look. Corrin and Elise quickly ducked their heads and tried to look like they hadn’t noticed, but they were laughing to each other as they spun the little accessory racks between them.

As they looked away, Xander frowned. He turned his head and saw Camilla still standing on the opposite side of the store, absently picking through a few pants that were no way large enough to fit her.

They were long, thin jeans. The kind that might have fit someone else they knew, he thought, eyeing his sister.

“Oh, what about these?” Corrin asked distantly.

“Ribbons?” Elise said. “Hm. I like them, but they’re not really your style.”

“Oh, I know. I meant for Severa. She’s always wearing those black ones, isn’t she? Do you think she’d like some other colors?”

“Oh! I wasn’t even thinking about gifts! Oh, but I bet she’d love them!” Elise’s footsteps were light across the tile. “What about everyone else? Do you think we can find something for Leo and Niles too? What about Inigo?”

Corrin laughed. “Maybe, but let’s slow down. I wasn’t thinking about gifts for everyone. These ribbons just caught my eye.”

“Okay, but if we get Severa something, then everyone else needs a souvenir too! That includes us!”

They laughed again. “I like the way you think, but let’s slow down first.”

“So,” Xander said, having drifted closer to Camilla while Elise and Corrin chatted

Camilla’s eyes flicked up. Xander noted the quick way she glanced from his face to the spot where Corrin and Elise were sifting through clothes, to the bored looking young lady thumbing her way through a magazine behind the counter. The way Camilla took them in and visibly filed the information away was subtle and quick as a camera shutter. Xander was sure nobody else ever noticed the way she did that.

“They’re charming, aren’t they?” Camilla said with a sly smile. “I want to buy them everything in this store and then some.”

Xander winced. “Let’s not encourage them.”

“Elise would be tempted,” she agreed. “Corrin would try to dissuade us, but honestly, that just makes me want to spoil them more.”

“Some indulgence is alright, but let’s try to keep it reasonable.”

Camilla hummed noncommittally. Xander watched her eye some shirts without any real interest.

“About Severa,” he started.

Camilla waited, merely raising an eyebrow when Xander took a beat too long to continue. He wondered how much of the nonchalance was an act and how much was him simply misreading the situation. He didn’t want to assume, but better to ask than to be left guessing, he thought.

“Is there anything you wanted to talk about?” he asked.

“There isn’t,” Camilla said coolly.

“But if there were…”

“If there were,” Camilla said, “I’d promise you that there’d be nothing that would possibly bother Corrin while we’re here. I simply forbid it. Does that answer your question, O curious one?”

That strangely sounded like something Owain would say.

Or perhaps not Owain, Xander mentally amended. But maybe like how someone close to him would mimic Owain.

Another beat passed. Xander said, “So there’s nothing bothering _you_?”

“Not at all,” Camilla said. She flashed her teeth. “I’m not sure why you’re worrying, but it’s sweet. You’re a very dutiful older brother.”

He nodded. “I apologize for asking then. Since you two drove separately this morning, I thought perhaps you’d had a fight.”

“Severa hasn’t done anything wrong, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Camilla said, which wasn’t quite what Xander had been asking. They looked at each other.

“Why?” Camilla asked, voice light, her hands hovering above the clothes hangers. “Did she say something?”

Xander considered his words carefully. “She didn’t say much at all, no. Inigo said she was tired, though, so that must have been why. I was simply mistaken.”

“Hm.” Camilla began to shuffle through shirts again. “I’m not surprised. That was a dreadful storm last night. I could barely hear myself think over that thunder. I don’t even remember falling asleep.”

“It was quite loud. We seem to be caught in only the edges of it now, however.”

Camilla made another sound of acknowledgement but didn’t say anything more. Xander looked across the store and found Corrin and Elise still preoccupied with browsing the accessory section. He wondered if this were the time or place to be speaking about this.

He decided, as he always did, that his duty to his family won out over momentary comfort.

“I’m glad you and Severa are still getting along,” he said. “You two are quite close, and it would be a shame if something changed that.”

“My, my,” Camilla said. “I never realized you were so invested in my friendships.”

“You’re closer to Severa than I think I’ve ever seen you with anyone else.” Xander continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “I’m happy for you.”

Camilla’s face hadn’t changed much, but Xander hadn’t missed the way her fingers curled around a hanger so tightly it was bound to leave marks in her palm.

“Well,” she said smoothly, “color me surprised. You really are a dutiful older brother. And here I thought I was the only one who noticed that sort of thing.” She sighed. “Truthfully, I never thought you would.”

Xander frowned. “Why wouldn’t I care about your happiness?”

Camilla waved her hand.

“Oh, I don’t mean you don’t _care_. Just that I thought you’d be too busy to notice. You know, with the way you’re always caught up in work and all. And now that you’re spending so much time with Inigo as of late…”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?” Xander said, but an uncomfortable weight had laid itself on his shoulders. He knew most of his hours were eaten up by computer e-mails and work proposals, and some periods of the last ten years had been rockier than others. There had been times when Xander had gone without sitting down and having a conversation with his siblings for longer than he was comfortable with.

But the worst of that had been a long time ago now. No matter how busy work had become since their father had passed, he’d always made the effort to eat dinner with his family when he could, in any combination their busy schedules would allow. He responded to text messages and calls so regularly they were scheduled into his calendar between meetings. He didn’t think he’d been slacking on that.

It was true, however, that a few more hours of free time that could have been spent at home had instead gone towards Inigo over the last few months. Perhaps more time than Xander had thought, though his schedule was sometimes so packed that he only got to see Inigo once a week, and even then he was often inviting Inigo over so Xander could spend time with his family and Inigo at the same time. Perhaps he had miscalculated something crucial, however.

“Oh, no, don’t make that face,” Camilla said, mirroring his frown. “You’re very good to us, Xander, truly. We wouldn’t be here if not for you. You’re the pillar of this family. I just mean you and I have very different roles as siblings. That’s all.”

“I see.” He was trying very hard to see, at least.

“It’s not a bad thing,” Camilla assured him. “I’m just usually the one who notices these things, is all.”

Xander was not unaware that they had different roles. There were things Camilla did for their family that Xander did not or could not, and vice versa. It was the fact she’d voiced surprise that he wasn’t too busy to notice something as obvious as the way Camilla had grown to care about Severa that bothered him.

“If I’ve given you the impression that I’m more dedicated to work than to this family, then I’m sorry, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. I work hard _for_ this family.” Camilla opened her mouth, looking somewhat regretful, so he held up a hand. “I know you know that. And I know that wasn’t what you meant. But I do notice these things, Camilla. I think I notice a lot more than perhaps you give me credit for.”

Camilla looked at him appraisingly. “I don’t doubt much about you, Xander.”

Which meant this was one of the few things she did doubt.

Camilla smiled in a kind but disbelieving way, so he reiterated, “I mean it. You could even quiz me, if you’d like. There isn’t much I don’t think I’d be able to answer when it comes to you four.” He smiled at his own joke. If Leo thought he’d gotten away with what had transpired between himself, Niles, and Owain, he was dead wrong. “But if you really think I’ve been prioritizing my relationship with Inigo over the four of you recently, then he and I can talk about it. I can take a step back for a while.”

The line of Camilla’s mouth was laced with regret. “Xander, no. That wasn’t what I meant at all. I’m glad you’re happy with Inigo. You’ve been looking better ever since you started dating him.”

He’d been feeling better too, but that was neither here nor there. Xander felt secretly glad Camilla was discouraging him from distancing himself from Inigo though. He’d been willing to do it, if she truly thought it best, but he didn’t want to.

“Possibly. However…”

“Don’t feel bad about finding love,” Camilla said earnestly, eyebrows drawn. “You and I do have different roles, but no one thinks less of you for dating someone. In fact, it’s better this way.” She finally turned her body to face him directly. “You’re allowed to want things for yourself. You almost never take them, but you should.”

“So should you.”

That gave Camilla pause. Xander turned his head to see Elise stepping out of the changing room in the little lace dress she had picked up earlier. She twirled, and Corrin clapped. Elise hopped back into the changing booth.

“I won’t make you talk about this here. Or at all, if you don’t wish. If what you said before was true, then there’s nothing to talk about in the first place.” Xander laid his hand on his sister’s shoulder and looked at her seriously. “But if you were having troubles—regarding Severa or anything else—you’re welcome to talk to me about it any time. I mean it.”

Camilla hesitated for a moment. Then she smiled more sweetly than Xander had seen in a while.

“Thank you,” she said.

Xander nodded. “Of course.”

He still wasn’t sure if Camilla believed him. He was less sure she’d actually talk to him about Severa; neither of the women seemed interested in the idea, and Camilla had always played her cards closer to her chest. Xander knew the feeling.

He’d felt good about what he’d said, however. Whether or not it would make the desired impact would remain to be seen.

He was still mulling over what Camilla had said about him not spending enough time to notice obvious things in his own family, however. That was assuredly untrue—the part about him not noticing, at least—but the fact Camilla had said it at all was…

“Camilla!” Elise said loudly from behind the dressing booth door. “Can you come here for a second?”

“Coming,” Camilla said, just loud enough to be heard. She spared Xander one last unreadable glance before joining Corrin by the dressing room.

* * *

“Hey, Leo,” Elise said around a mouthful of pancake, “when are you going to tell us how you finally got Owain to date you and Niles?”

Leo choked on his water. He slammed his cup back on the table, coughing loudly into his fist. Niles patted him on the back with a wry grin.

“Are you okay?” Elise asked, concerned.

Leo coughed some more, his face turning a strange shade of red. Niles rubbed Leo’s back, but his one eye was aimed at Elise. On Leo’s other side, Owain had frozen.

Elise’s gaze flickered between them curiously. “What’s wrong? Was that supposed to be a secret?”

“Apparently not a good one,” Niles said dryly. He was looking at Elise—appraisingly? She wasn’t sure.

“Wow, _Elise_ was the one to pick up on that first?” Inigo, on the other end of the table, sounded delighted. He snorted in Owain’s direction. “You couldn’t even make it one day!”

“I did notice something was different.” Xander wore a somewhat amused smile of his own. “I didn’t want to make any assumptions, however. Nor did I want to say anything before Leo was comfortable telling us.”

Was that an admonishment? Elise giggled, embarrassed. “Oops. Sorry! But this is good news, right?”

Owain unfroze. “Y-Yes! The best of news! We, ah, had planned to unveil this information after some time adjusting amongst ourselves, however…”

At the sound of Owain’s voice, Leo finally recovered as well.

“Yes,” he said a little more forcefully, clearing his throat. “I had thought we were being discreet, but…”

“After one day, really.” Niles shook his head and laid his hand on top of Leo’s on the table. “And here I thought _I_ was the nosiest one out of this bunch.”

Elise shrunk back sheepishly. She hadn’t meant to ruin a secret. She just thought everyone had noticed already.

Though—she looked around the table—only Corrin seemed actually surprised. So maybe she hadn’t been wrong after all. She’d definitely have to review a few things about being a detective if Corrin seriously wanted to go into investigative work with her though.

“You underestimate how well we siblings know each other,” Camilla told Niles. She and Xander shared a look.

Encouraged, Elise said, “Yeah! Come on, Leo! We know you too well!”

“I guess you must,” Leo said reluctantly. Niles squeezed his hand and whispered something that made Leo dip his head, weakly fighting off a smile.

Camilla hummed knowingly while Inigo chuckled and pressed himself against Xander’s side. Elise looked at Niles and Leo’s proximity and the way Owain eyed them, looking strangely unsure.

“Why don’t you hold Owain’s hand too?” Elise suggested. Leo and Niles both made sounds at that—Leo surprised, Niles pleased. “If it’s not a secret anymore, I mean. Aren’t you in the honeymoon phase again? Shouldn’t you hold hands all the time like Inigo and Xander?”

“Elise,” Xander said, startled, while Inigo groaned, _“Oh, again with the honeymoon stuff?”_

Elise waited for Leo to answer. Niles, whose fingers were still curled around Leo’s own, had put his chin in his other hand and looked at Leo expectantly.

“Yeah, Leo,” Niles said, “why aren’t you holding Owain’s hand too? Since we’re dating and all.”

“I—” Leo looked around, but nobody seemed ready to come to his rescue. “I only have two hands. And we’re eating lunch.”

Elise cocked her head. “Owain and Niles can feed you then.”

Leo, who had taken a triumphant a bit of a French fry, choked again. At the far end of the table, even the strangely quiet Severa cackled.

“Ah, Leo,” Owain said, glancing around the table. His hands fiddled nervously in his lap. “You don’t really have to…”

“Oh, please,” Niles said. “Owain, I’d be holding your hand if I didn’t have to reach across half the table to get there. Don’t get all shy on us now.”

“Owain? Shy?” Inigo repeated. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

Owain straightened, placing his hands on the table. “Bold words coming from Mr. Honeymoon.”

“Wha—"

“Aw, come on, guys,” Corrin said. “It’s not our business. Let’s leave them alone.”

Niles wiggled his eyebrows at Leo and Owain. Camilla continued to pick at her lunch with a sly smile.

“Holding hands isn’t a big ask,” Inigo said with a shrug. Next to him, Xander looked like he was thinking hard about something. Corrin looked hesitantly between them all. “They act like we’re asking them to do something extreme, like—”

Before he could continue any further, Leo slapped his hand over Owain’s. Owain jumped as though Leo had hit him.

Eyeing him, Leo leaned towards Owain and whispered, just loud enough for Elise to hear from across the table.

“I’m not embarrassed about _you_. Everything we said last night still stands. I just… You know how I feel about PDA.”

Owain hesitated. “But… you and Niles have always—in front of me—”

“That was _different_ ,” Leo hissed. He was still the same cherry tomato red he’d been while choking, but he didn’t look unhappy, which made Elise feel better about the last few minutes. He glanced at Niles’s hand and added, “Niles likes to be pushy anyway. And so does my family.”

Elise giggled again. She didn’t miss the way Leo’s eyes flickered towards her, and his face softened a little.

“You love it,” Niles said at normal volume with a wink. Or maybe just a regular blink? It was hard to say.

Leo rolled his eyes fondly but notably didn’t deny it. He hesitated for a moment and then pressed his mouth to the shell of Owain’s ear, whispering something so quietly even Elise couldn’t hear. Whatever he said, though, it made Owain unclench.

She didn’t know what was up with Owain being so anxious all of a sudden, but Leo might not have been so reluctant to hold hands if everyone wasn’t teasing him about it so much, Elise thought. It was kind of like reverse psychology. Leo was always been confident until he wasn’t, especially when it came to family. And the thing with Owain was pretty recent, she supposed, even if it felt like all three of them had been growing closer since forever now too.

But despite the half-eaten lunch still sitting on his plate, Leo looked determined to keep his hands on both Niles and Owain now. Owain, for his part, had forgotten his own lunch and was staring at where their hands met like it was the sun and stars all rolled into one.

Niles looked suitably smug about this development. He lifted one of Leo’s fries off his plate with his free hand and held it up to Leo’s mouth. “That wasn’t hard, see? Now open wide.”

“Absolutely not,” Leo said flatly.

Niles continued to hold up the fry. He raised his eyebrows in question.

After another moment of the staring contest, Leo gave in and ate it.

Severa and Inigo both whooped from their respective seats. Niles, somehow, looked even more pleased.

Owain mouthed something that made Inigo laugh and burrow his face into Xander’s shoulder.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elise thought she saw Camilla subtly pull out her phone and take a picture.

Leo reluctantly ate another fry from Niles’s fingers as Owain leaned around him and whispered something to Niles behind Leo’s head. Niles responded with a delighted whisper of his own, the words drowned out by the din of the diner.

Satisfied, Elise took another big bite of her pancakes. Breakfast for lunch had been a good choice. She didn’t even mind that the syrup had gone all cold while she’d been giving Leo and his boyfriends a nudge. It felt good to see Leo so happy. He was happy with Niles, of course, but now he looked _really_ happy. Elise could tell. Her intuition hadn’t led her wrong yet.

* * *

Everyone’s mood had lightened over lunch and teasing Leo about his recent relationship upgrade, which was nice. The group had been too quiet before, Corrin thought.

The sky outside had grown darker and heavier without anyone realizing, however, and by the time they were stepping out of the diner, the rain was pouring down like a faucet nobody had thought to close. Corrin didn’t find it a surprise when everyone naturally separated into groups as they walked out.

Severa still wore her sunglasses despite the weather, they noticed, though they didn’t comment. They remembered how awkward it had felt walking in on Camilla and Severa the other night, how obviously Corrin and Elise had interrupted something they shouldn’t have. It was partly Corrin’s fault that Severa felt she had something to hide today. It wouldn’t have been this way if Corrin had just kept themselves and Elise out of the cabin for a while longer or something. They just didn’t know how to make it up to her yet.

As they went their separate ways, Owain, to nobody’s surprise, chose to tag along with Leo and Niles this time. For a moment Corrin thought Xander would choose to go with Inigo too, but he remained with Camilla, Corrin, and Elise again instead.

“If the rain clears up, we should head back,” Camilla said idly before they split up. “We wouldn’t want to drive back in this weather, but we don’t want to be out too late either.”

“Agreed,” Xander said, and that was that. Everyone meandered off in the opposite direction they had gone that morning.

To Elise’s delight, she and Corrin stumbled upon a jewelry shop with a few more options than the scant sections they had stumbled upon previously. At Elise’s begging, Camilla pulled Xander aside to have a discussion about whether or not Elise could pierce her ears. Elise pulled Corrin into the jewelry store while they talked.

“I’m pretty sure Xander is going to say yes,” Corrin said, fingering a neutral looking necklace lightly. The redheaded woman behind the counter looked very eager at Corrin’s perceived interest and was subsequently disappointed when Corrin put the necklace back, so they decided not to touch any more wares if they could help it.

Elise, however, had no such compunction. She cooed over practically everything she could get her hands on. Not that Corrin blamed her; it did all look like good quality jewelry.

The price reflected it too, Corrin acknowledged with a wince.

“You think so?” Elise said cheerily. “I hope he does. I’ve wanted earrings for forever now. Camilla got them when she was younger than me, so it’s only fair.”

“So you want to look like Camilla?” Corrin teased.

“I want to look more mature!” Elise said good-naturedly. “It feels childish to always use clip-ons, you know? I’m old enough to have real piercings. Haven’t you ever wanted any?”

“Not really. I guess Xander never thinks about that sort of thing either, huh?”

“Never! That’s why I waited to bring it up when I knew you and Camilla would be there to back me up. He can’t argue against all three of us.”

Corrin laughed. “I’m pretty sure I heard him asking Camilla for advice on how to clean piercings before we came in here. He basically already agreed.”

“Seriously? Yes!” Elise cheered and picked up another set of earrings in the shape of roses. “I want to try everything. Oh, do you think he’ll let me dye my hair too?”

“Dye your hair?” Corrin was a little taken aback. “That’s a leap. Were you thinking about this for a while too, or is this more spur of the moment?”

“I’ve been thinking about it! Maybe purple would look nice?”

Corrin stared. Elise sheepishly put the rose earrings back. They both pretended not to notice the redhead woman behind the counter wilt.

“Okay, okay,” she said. “Maybe I _am_ trying to imitate Camilla. Just a little! No offense!”

Because Elise wasn’t trying to imitate Corrin instead? They laughed. “None taken. It might be harder to convince Xander to let you dye your whole head though, especially with school starting up again. What about highlights?”

“Highlights? Hm, that’s something to think about.” Elise looked at the rows of jewelry thoughtfully. She gasped as something caught her eye. “Oh, hey, look at this!”

“This” turned out to be a charm bracelet. Corrin thought it was just a normal beaded bracelet until Elise undid the clasp and began pulling the white beads off the metal chain they had been threaded onto.

She pointed to the sign. “Look! You can mix and match the beads!”

Corrin blinked and noticed several different tubs of different colored glass beads at their elbow. “Oh, you’re right.”

There were as many different styles of beads as there were colors. It was no wonder they had caught Elise’s eye.

“That’d look cute on you,” Corrin said, though they were eyeing the fine print on the sign that declared every additional change of bead added to the cost of the bracelet. “I don’t know if you could get this and some of those earrings though. You know, just for the sake of having some semblance of a budget.”

“If I’m getting my ears pierced soon, then I won’t be able to change out my earrings for a few weeks anyway,” Elise said breezily. “I only need a pair to start with. After that, I can buy earrings anytime. The bracelet is for you.”

“For me?”

Elise plucked a bead out of a bucket and held it up. “Look at this one! Doesn’t it remind you of me?”

Corrin looked between the bright pink of the bead and the pastel strawberry design of Elise’s shirt. “It does, actually.”

“Great!” Elise threaded the pink bead onto the bracelet. “I bet there’s a color for everyone here. Look! Do you think Camilla is more like this one or this one?”

She was pointing between two different buckets. Corrin was still trying to follow Elise’s thought process.

“A color for everyone?” they repeated.

“Yeah,” Else said like she was surprised Corrin hadn’t caught on already. “It’s a charm bracelet! It’s supposed to _mean_ something. Pink is for me, and we can have a different color for the rest of the family too! Camilla is definitely purple, I think. Like this!”

Elise plucked a bead from the bucket labeled “amethyst” in swirling font. There were a lot of different shades of purple beads in that bucket, but Corrin had to admit Elise had chosen a pretty accurate shade of purple to represent Camilla. She threaded the bead onto the bracelet without waiting for a reply.

Now Elise’s bright pink and Camilla’s amethyst bead sat next to each other on the bracelet—two dots of complementary color on an otherwise empty metal string.

“Oh,” Corrin said, imagining how colorful the bracelet would look like when it was completely filled out. “That’s a really sweet idea, Elise.”

“It’d be like a memento for this trip! And for our family! So we’re with you even when we’re not really together.”

“Aw, Elise, you’re always with me, even without a piece of jewelry.” Corrin smiled at her reassuringly.

Elise beamed back. But the exchange didn’t dissuade her from insisting Corrin get the bracelet anyway, nor from prodding Corrin into picking out two beads for Leo and Xander too—a forest green bead and a bead Elise described as “royal purple,” respectively. Xander’s bead was a darker color than Camilla’s. Corrin thought it was fitting.

Even with four beads, however, the bracelet was only partially full. Corrin eyed the sign above the colored beads once more.

The white beads were practically free with the purchase of the bracelet; it was the customization that cost more. The idea was probably to entice returning customers to purchase a new bead every time they wandered into the store. Corrin didn’t imagine they’d be coming back anytime soon though.

“The rest of them can be white,” Corrin suggested, already reaching for some white beads.

“Huh? But what about everyone else?” Elise asked, puzzled.

It was clear who Elise meant by “everyone else,” but, still, they were given pause. They looked at Elise, somewhat surprised.

There had once been a time when little Elise—somehow even younger than she was now—had clung to Corrin’s arm, sobbing and whining, that Corrin was _theirs_ and Elise didn’t _want_ to share with some other family. Elise had been very young then and it hadn’t been an unreasonable reaction for a little girl who’d just found out one of her siblings had another set of family that nobody had known about before, but the sight had still broken Corrin’s heart. 

That had been a long time ago though. Elise had grown a lot since then. She always asked about Sakura and Mikoto and Corrin’s other siblings whenever Corrin came back from a visit. She and Sakura were friends, even. Elise had grown into a thoughtful young lady since that time, so really, Corrin shouldn’t have been so surprised that Elise would want to include Sakura and the others on a bracelet meant to symbolize Corrin’s whole family.

It still felt like a big step though. Some kind of marker of something. Corrin couldn’t keep the grin off their face. 

“Aw, Elise. You’re absolutely right that Ryoma and the others should be included.” Corrin hugged her. Then they hesitated, eyeing the price again. “Still, I’m not sure…”

“I don’t need anything else anyway,” Elise said.

“What? No, Elise, that’s not what I—”

“We can just get this and nothing else,” she continued. “A bracelet is enough on its own. If I got earrings, it would be weeks before I could switch them out, and I bet I’d be better off buying them at the piercing place anyway. So let’s just get this!”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead,” Corrin said gently. “Come on, you wanted to look at jewelry in the first place. Four beads are enough for now. You can get earrings or a necklace or whatever else you wanted.”

“Corrin!” Elise pouted. “I want to do something nice for you!”

Corrin laughed. “Elise, this _whole trip_ has been nice. Just being here with you is gift enough already. And that’s Xander’s money you’re using anyway. I know we’re on vacation, but let’s not be too wasteful, alright?”

“Not all of it! I’ve been saving up!”

There Elise went, surprising them again. “Saving up? For the earrings?”

“Come on, just pick out some colors,” Elise insisted, looking around speculatively. “What colors match everyone else, do you think? Oh, what about this one?” She held up a bead resembling a ruby. “Doesn’t this one remind you of Ryoma? Don’t tell him I said this, but he kind of makes me think of a lobster when he wears that suit. You know which one I mean, right?”

Corrin threw their head back and laughed. Lobster red for Ryoma. That fit perfectly.

There was no use arguing when Elise had her heart set on something. She helped Corrin pick out the other colors.

Hinoka’s bead ended up being a brilliant orange color that almost looked like Ryoma’s ruby at certain angles. Takumi’s bead took a little searching, but eventually Elise came up with a bead that resembled bark. The brown looked pretty plain at first, but when Corrin held it up to the light, they caught a glimpse of different shades of yellow layered within.

Corrin wavered between a white or a gentle peach color for Sakura and only ended up picking the peach when Elise suggested white could be Mikoto’s stone. They agreed.

Of course, if Mikoto got a stone, so did Sumeragi. Corrin chose a black bead that matched the shade of their adoptive father’s hair.

With that, the bracelet was nearly complete. They could have stopped there if they wanted, and the beads would have been only a little loose on the chain.

But if it was a bracelet meant to represent family, then there were still a few people missing.

“This one is Azura’s,” Elise declared, holding up an azure stone, already ahead of the curve.

Azura was Corrin’s cousin, and Corrin didn’t get to see her or her parents nearly often enough. They lived out of the country and hadn’t even met until a year or so after Corrin had gotten to meet Mikoto for the first time. The distance between them meant they only got to see each other sporadically, usually around holidays. Since Corrin couldn’t visit her as easily as the rest of their siblings, despite frequent phone calls, they were still getting to know each other a little more slowly than Corrin had gotten to know their siblings. Still, Corrin valued Azura as much as anyone else in their family.

Azura wasn’t the person whose bead had caused Corrin to hesitate, however.

“Good choice,” Corrin said, a little faintly. They eyed the different tubs of glass. “Could you put it on for me?”

Elise did, gladly. Then she noticed the look on Corrin’s face. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy with it? We can choose other colors if you want. I didn’t mean to pick for you so much.”

“No, no,” Corrin said quickly, trying to soothe the worried frown from Elise’s mouth. “They’re all perfect. I’m not worried about any of that.”

Camilla and Xander had been gone for what felt like forever. They couldn’t have been talking about Elise getting piercings this whole time. Had they stepped into another store? Corrin didn’t think they had much time alone with Elise left. They wavered over what to say.

“Then what are you worried about?” Elise asked.

Corrin eyed the bracelet. It was a family tree in progress. A bead for every brother and sister they had, including honorary sibling Azura—plus birth mother and adoptive father.

Garon was… something else, they considered. A father and yet not. Elise hadn’t brought him up, and Corrin didn’t think they would either. That was a part of their family they were still coming to terms with as well, albeit much more slowly.

But their other, final family member—the reason Corrin had taken this trip in the first place—

“What about your dad?” Elise looked up thoughtfully. “Did you want one for him?”

She sounded so uncertain that her voice nearly trailed off at the end, but she’d hit the nail right on the head.

Corrin looked at assorted beads laid out in front of them. There were so many colors. How could they pick a color to represent a person they had never met? They weren’t even sure if it would feel right to place the father they didn’t have on the same level as their real family, no matter how often Corrin thought about him.

But wasn’t he real family too? Hadn’t Mikoto said he loved them before they were even born? That had to count for something. At least, Corrin thought so.

They weren’t even sure where most of the hesitance was suddenly coming from. The more time Corrin spent at the cabins, unsure what they were looking for and failing to find it, the more uncertain they had become. They were beginning to wonder if it had been a good idea to come out here after all.

Elise, ever a light in the darkness, slipped her hand into Corrin’s.

“Why don’t we get a bead anyway?” she suggested. “If you don’t like it, you can always put it on a separate necklace or something later.”

“That sounds… good,” Corrin said slowly. “But… I’m not sure which color would be a good choice.”

It wasn’t a difficult decision. Any color would have just worked as well as another. Still, they hesitated.

Elise hummed and reached for a box. “What about a blue one? So it looks like the lake?”

She held up a bead that, sure enough, reflected the deep blue of the lake in Corrin’s mind’s eye. The anxiety in Corrin’s chest softened instantly.

“Oh,” they breathed. “It’s perfect.”

With a small smile, Elise threaded the last bead onto the chain and clasped the bracelet shut. The chain was completely filled out and not too crowded; twelve had been the perfect number of beads.

Perhaps the colors were not entirely complementary anymore. There were two different shades of purple and two pinks. Two blues. White, brown, red, orange, green, and black were all mixed together. Realistically, the bracelet wasn’t going to be winning any fashion awards anytime soon. In Corrin’s eye, however, it was beautiful.

The bell above the door jingled. Corrin turned to greet Xander and Camilla as they stepped inside, looking slightly damp from the rain.

“Hey,” Corrin said. “Where have you two been?”

“Talking about this and that,” Camilla said with a wave. She held up a shopping bag. “I also picked up a few things since I knew you two would be busy for a while.”

“It looks like Elise found some more things she liked too,” Xander observed.

Corrin followed his gaze and realized Elise had snuck away as soon as their siblings had walked in. She was already at the counter, finishing up purchasing Corrin’s new bracelet.

“Oh, Elise!” they said. “You don’t have to do that. I could—”

“Nope!” Elise chirped back without looking.

She was already being handed back the change. So she had been saving up after all, Corrin noted. They figured Elise must have been hiding some cash in her pocket this whole time. It had to be a decent sum of chore money saved up over time. Math had never been Corrin’s strong suit, but even with a basic grasp on addition, the price of the bracelet did not come out to be cheap. The saleswoman behind the counter looked very pleased.

Camilla and Xander looked at them quizzically but didn’t ask any questions until Elise came bounding back to join them.

“Here,” she said, reaching for Corrin’s hand.

Corrin let her clasp the bracelet around their wrist. They shook their hand when they were done and felt satisfied with the way the bracelet held in place. A perfect fit.

“Oh?” Camilla leaned in, interested. “Elise, did you pick this out for Corrin? It’s very…”

“Unique,” Xander finished as Camilla trailed off.

Corrin smiled at their new accessory. They glanced between Xander and Camilla’s faces and their respective beads. They had made the right choice.

“It’s wonderful,” they said. “Elise helped me put it together. I love it.”

“Well, then.” Xander put his hand on Elise’s shoulder and squeezed. “Good choice, both of you.”

“It’s meant to represent you guys,” Corrin explained, pointing. “Look, this one is you, Xander, and this is Camilla’s. Elise is this pink one here.”

“Oh, how adorable,” Camilla cooed, pulling Corrin close to her chest. On another day, Corrin might have struggled a little more despite knowing the movement was futile. Sometimes Camilla could be a little too touchy, but in other moments like this, they couldn’t say they minded a hug from their sister every now and again—even if Camilla did squeeze hard enough to crack a rib. “That’s such a thoughtful little accessory. You absolutely _must_ tell me who the other colors represent.”

“In a second,” Corrin said pleasantly, ignoring how Camilla’s grip had edged on too tight for a brief moment. “Has it the rain lightened up yet?”

Xander shook his head as Camilla released them. “Not yet. It looks like it will rain all day.”

Elise’s shoulders slumped at that. Corrin sent her a sympathetic smile.

“Alright,” they said, “we can kill a few more hours, right?”

* * *

Ultimately, Owain only spent an hour or so with Niles and Leo before finding Inigo and Severa again. He shook like a dog when he found them, hair and clothes already soaked from a two second dash across the street. Severa scoffed when Inigo teased Owain about needing some “private time” with his new boyfriends and pretended not to feel as guilty as she did for making them both feel obligated to not leave her alone. It was hard to keep pretending when Owain pulled his phone out every two seconds to respond to a text like the lovebird he was, but she managed. More or less.

Guilt or not, she did appreciate them hanging out with her. There had been a few lighthearted moments over lunch—Elise breaking open a secret that hadn’t even remained secret for twenty-four hours being the highlight—but one glance over the table was all Severa needed to be reminded of the fact Camilla was decidedly _not_ acknowledging her. Every time she’d given in to temptation and saw how carefully Camilla kept her body turned away from Severa’s end of the table, Severa’s gently upward-sloping mood had taken a sharp dip.

The shops weren’t any more interesting in the afternoon than they had been that morning, but her boys were entertainment enough. After lunch, Inigo and Owain did a good job of keeping Severa’s mind off Camilla and their failed beginning. Inigo cooed over a shopkeeper’s Pomeranian while Severa filmed him. Meanwhile, Owain fawned over a table full of leather-bound journals with a love that was painfully familiar.

When they had their fill of that, Inigo pulled her into the romance section of a bookstore and read the backs of romance novels an exaggerated countenance. They made fun of the awful blurbs and how unoriginal most of the covers were—“How many photos of the same blonde couple almost kissing can they use until they finally have to pick another template?” Inigo asked her—until Owain dragged them into another store to admire a bunch of dusty old antiques in a shop run by a man so old Severa thought he was an antiquity himself.

When Inigo seemingly fell asleep on his feet in the middle of it all, they made fun of him for that too.

“Didn’t you sleep last night or did Xander keep you too busy?” Severa asked at one point, the implication clear in her tone.

Inigo gave her a glazed look. “Huh?”

“You know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows until Inigo woke up and turned red. Behind her, Owain snickered.

Suffice to say, she was never really bored.

Severa couldn’t honestly say she was in a _fun_ mood that day. But that morning she had declared that Camilla was not going to ruin this vacation for her, and Severa wasn’t going to be made a liar if she could help it, so she threw herself into the conversation as much as she could.

And if she got few hours of non-negotiable shopping time with two assistants, that was an added bonus.

“Hey, I told you I needed to look good,” she said to Owain when he groaned under the weight of her fourth purchase.

Owain pressed his forehead against a pillar and groaned again.

Whatever. The purses weren’t even heavy.

Xander called Inigo in the late afternoon.

“Hel _lo_ there, handsome,” Inigo greeted as he held the phone up to his ear. Severa and Owain paused in the middle of an inspection of a wall full of very wonky looking carved lions. “What’s up? We ready to go?”

Inigo eyed the storefront window. Severa pretended to be more invested in ugly figurines than his conversation.

“Oh? Yeah, that makes sense. Gotcha. We’ll meet you by the cars in twenty minutes then. See you there.”

“Have we been ordered to regroup our convoy?” Owain asked when Inigo hung up.

Severa snorted. “What, are we in the military now?”

Owain stuck out his tongue.

Inigo rolled his eyes fondly. “Yeah, Xander said it was better to head back sooner rather than later.”

“I thought we were waiting on the rain to stop,” Severa said, not eager to see Camilla again. It was still a downpour out there.

Inigo shrugged. “That was the plan, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be clearing up anytime soon. Everyone else is starting to think it’ll be better to get back now so we won’t be driving in the rain _and_ the dark later. Leo and Niles are picking up pizzas for dinner, apparently.”

“That’s a lot of pizza,” Severa said. She tried not to let the disappointment show on her face. She wasn’t exactly ready to face Camilla again so soon, but she didn’t want to be a moody baby about it anymore.

Nosy Inigo seemed to notice her mood, but thankfully Owain didn’t.

“It’s just Niles and Leo getting the pizzas?” Owain asked. “Do they need help carrying it all?”

Inigo plastered on a grin. “Why don’t you ask them yourself, lover boy?”

Owain was already pulling out his phone and dialing either of his boyfriends, although he did pause just long enough to point an accusing finger at Inigo. “The more you make fun of me now, the worse your payback is going to be later.”

“This is already payback from all those times you made fun of me for dating Xander,” Inigo retorted.

“I made fun of your awful flirting,” Owain corrected. “Which you deserved.”

“You absolutely deserved it,” Severa said.

She heard when somebody picked up the other end of Owain’s call. Even if she hadn’t, the way Owain immediately perked up and switched gears was evidence enough.

“Niles! Mysterious sources have informed me of your mission to gather supplies this dark evening. Are you in need of assistance?”

Niles’s reply was too muffled to make out anything except dry amusement. Severa and Inigo exchanged a knowing look. Whatever Niles actually replied, Owain’s intentions were obvious.

To neither of their surprises, Owain ran away to carry pizzas and show off Leo and Niles as soon as the call ended. Inigo and Severa were left to kill the last few minutes on their own. It would still be a few minutes before everyone else made it to the cars.

“Hey,” Severa said, looking out at the rain. “Can I catch a ride back with you and Xander again or is that going to be too weird?”

“Too weird?” Inigo sounded confused. “I assumed you’d be riding with us anyway.”

Because there was no way Severa was going to interrupt the honeymoon trio any more than she had to, yeah.

“Not weird for _you_.” She rolled her eyes. “I mean, Xander’s not, you know. Going to ask why? It’s not like you can still use the excuse that I’m tired.”

Inigo shrugged. “Why not? The humidity makes me tired enough. Hell, I could go for a nap right now, to be honest.”

“Whatever.” She’d deal with it as it came. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “Thanks.”

Inigo smiled at her. “What else are friends for?”

They met back at the cars twenty minutes later. Apparently that was more than enough time for Leo, Niles, and Owain to finish up picking up a large stack of pizzas since Severa found the three of them plus food sitting in Leo’s car when she arrived.

Inigo didn’t have the keys to Xander’s car, so he and Severa managed to squeeze into the back of Leo’s to keep out of the rain while they waited. Between the pizzas and the three other passengers, there wasn’t much room. Severa almost choked on the smell of romance and garlic in the air.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Xander appeared with the rest of the girls in tow. Severa and Inigo spared no time in hopping out of Leo’s car and into Xander’s.

Nobody commented when Severa, damp and frizzy haired from the two seconds she had spent outside the protection of the storefront awnings, crawled into Xander’s back seat rather than Camilla’s. Not even Xander, who barely batted an eye when Inigo fibbed about Severa being tired again. She was a little surprised at his silence, but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The windshield wipers were working in overdrive on the way back. A slow roll of thunder overhead warned that they were leaving town just in time. Xander had been right to worry about driving back in the dark and the dirt. Selena didn’t like how she could just barely make out the blurs of reds and greens of the stoplights through the thick haze of rain on the drive back.

Miraculously, they did not get turned around looking for the correct road to take to their cabins a second time, which Inigo did tease Xander about.

Even more miraculously—and to Severa’s considerable surprise—the rain stopped.

Which was not to say the solid wall of clouds overhead disappeared. Those were as solid and gray as ever. But the thick curtain of rain lightened into a thin shower as they were maneuvering their way through the forested path, and by the time they stopped in front of the cabins again, it was nothing more than a drizzle.

“Strange,” Xander commented, peering through the windshield curiously as he put the car into park.

“It must be because we’re in the eye of the storm,” Inigo said.

Severa wrinkled her nose. “Isn’t that just for hurricanes or whatever?”

“Who knows?” Inigo looked over the shoulder of his seat at her. “I’m not going to complain if it passes overhead tonight and tomorrow is nothing but fun in the sun again.”

“We could just go swimming in the rain,” Severa suggested idly. Even though it wasn’t raining very hard anymore, she didn’t see the weather changing anytime soon. “That’d be different, at least.”

“No!” Inigo said sharply. When Xander and Severa looked at him, both a little startled, he laughed nervously and shrugged. “I mean, it’d be pretty bad if one of us got struck by lightning, you know?”

She supposed it would.

They jumped out of the car and made a beeline for their respective cabins. Severa didn’t have the excuse of stowing away with Xander and Inigo anymore; she had to go back to her own cabin. All her clothes were there anyway.

Luckily, Camilla’s car was just pulling up as Severa hopped out of Xander’s. She ran straight for the front door and had tucked herself away in the bathroom with a spare change of clothes by the time she heard the others coming in.

She banged on the bathroom door with her fist from the inside and loudly said, “Does anybody need to be in here? Because if not, I’m going to take a shower!”

“I’m alright!” Elise yelled back. She must have been in the living room. Her voice was a little muffled through the door.

“Take your time!” Corrin added. “I think we’ll be going over to Xander’s cabin in a minute, FYI!”

Camilla said nothing.

Severa banged on the door in acknowledgement and then turned the shower on.

She did feel a little gross from the humidity of the day, but mostly the shower was just an excuse to not face Camilla for a little longer.

She was trying to _feel_ more confident, honestly. It was easier to sound brave in front of Inigo and Owain than to actually face her rejection again alone.

Having Camilla so close, without the group around, and the prospect of being forced to actually _interact_ hanging over her head…

She wasn’t ready for that just yet.

Severa took her time in the shower. By the time she was finished conditioning, drying off, and making herself presentable again, she was sure the others had already left.

Because of that, it wasn’t a surprise when she exited the bathroom and found the cabin silent. A quick look around proved it just as empty as she suspected. Some of the tension in Severa’s spine lessened a little.

She steeled herself with a deep breath before leaving the cabin. Some uneasiness still lingered in the pit of her stomach, but that was fine. She’d been fine all day. She’d been good, even. She could do this.

The rain had all but stopped entirely by the time she was rushing across the wet grass to Inigo’s cabin. Which was convenient, she thought smugly, because it would have been a crime for the weather to ruin her hair when she’d spent the better part of an hour making sure it looked good.

Then Severa stepped inside Inigo’s cabin and found Camilla wasn’t there at all.

“Where’s Camilla?”

Those were the first words out of Severa’s mouth. Instantly, she felt embarrassed.

Sitting on the couch, Leo sent her an unreadable look. “Camilla said she was tired and went to lay down over an hour ago.”

Sure she had been alone, Severa hadn’t bothered picking her dirty clothes off the bathroom floor or checking the bedroom. Had Camilla been laying down just a room away all along?

“It’s too bad,” Corrin said after Severa was quiet for a beat too long to not be awkward. “I thought she’d come back and we’d all have a night in together.”

“We can still have fun,” Inigo said from his position crouched in front of the TV. Severa could see him fiddling with HDMI cables and his laptop. It looked like some Steam games were already pulled up on the screen. “I’ll have this up and running in a few minutes. Dinner’s on the counter if you want some.”

Severa had spotted the pizza boxes herself. Two were already opened.

Unsure if she was relieved or disappointed at Camilla’s absence, she shrugged and went to squeeze herself onto the couch.

Fresh guilt churned in her stomach. Camilla wasn’t the type to run away from a fight. On the other hand, Camilla _had_ been the type to avoid confrontation until Severa had literally forced her hand. Which Severa never would have expected from her until now. Part of her was still a little surprised by that.

It wasn’t that Severa wanted to see Camilla or anything. Definitely not. But this was Corrin’s family vacation. Emphasis on _family_. Camilla should have been sitting in Severa’s spot. She shouldn’t have been avoiding her siblings just so she wouldn’t have to see Severa, if that was what was happening. Corrin deserved better, at the very least.

Maybe Camilla really _was_ tired, she thought. That seemed unlikely, but what else was Severa going to do? Go back to the cabin and tell Camilla to spend time with her family herself? Absolutely not.

Severa told herself that Camilla and Corrin and their other siblings had spent the whole day together. If Camilla wanted to be alone after a full day of shopping, that was her decision. If it conveniently allowed her to avoid Severa a little longer, so what? That was her problem. If Severa could come out even if she didn’t want to, Camilla was perfectly capable of doing the same.

She sat up a little straighter.

Maybe she was braver than Camilla after all. Maybe even stronger.

It was a strange realization, but it steeled something in her all the same.

“Game time!” Inigo cheered.

She blinked and realized he had finally connected his computer to the TV.

“Ooh, what are we playing?” Elise asked, throwing herself over the back of the couch. There weren’t enough seats for everyone, so she plopped herself by Leo’s feet.

In the background, Owain made a questioning sound, his mouth full of cheesy pizza. Severa didn’t turn her head, but she heard the telltale rip of paper towels being torn and Niles’s exasperatedly fond voice saying, “Come here, you.”

Xander had preemptively pulled out his phone for whatever game Inigo pulled up.

“Did you have something in mind already?” he asked.

“I thought I’d leave that up to the group,” Inigo said with an easy shrug. “Let’s see what I have here.”

* * *

At the sound of the door opening, Camilla opened her eyes.

She hadn’t been sleeping. Hours might have passed since she’d grown tired of lurking in the quiet night and the misty rain and finally laid herself down in the living room. She hadn’t checked her phone since she’d told the family that she was going to bed early. The exact time was unknown to her. She simply knew she had laid there in the dark, eyes closed but unable to sleep, for what felt like an eternity.

The back door had opened. Camilla laid there without moving and focused on the soft creak of the screen door closing. Then footsteps.

It might have been Elise and Corrin returning, having finally tuckered themselves out. Or maybe not.

She didn’t sit up and look over the back of the couch to check.

She laid still, just as she had for the past whoever knew how long, legs curled uncomfortably close to make up for the couch’s too short length. She hadn’t been made to fit in a two-seater.

The air conditioner had turned on a while ago, the dull hum of machinery disturbing the silence of the cabin. Despite the cool air, Camilla still felt the weighty humidity that had clung to her shoulders like a second skin all day. She knew if she reached up that she could wipe away the thin layer of moisture that clung to her forehead.

She did not move.

The footsteps slowly approached the living room. Camilla’s legs cramped.

She breathed in quietly through her nose.

Severa’s distinctive silhouette rounded the couch and stopped in front of the master bedroom. The shape of her long pigtails wavered in the dark as she shifted from foot to foot in front of the closed door, hesitating.

Camilla watched her through the gaps in her eyelashes. Severa’s silhouette was almost indistinguishable from the walls in the dark.

Suddenly, Severa turned away from the door, face obscured with shadow. She must not have been able to see without a light very well because she leaned over and reached out with her hands to feel for one of the couches—like she was planning on sleeping in the living room herself, Camilla supposed.

Severa reached for the couch that Camilla was laying on, of course.

Before Camilla could decide whether or not to speak up, Severa’s hand brushed her leg.

Severa jerked away like Camilla’s palm had burned her fingertips. Her gasp echoed like a firecracker in the still night air.

She choked out a hasty, whispered, _“Sorry.”_

Camilla closed her fist and said nothing.

Whether Severa realized Camilla was awake or not didn’t seem to matter. She didn’t linger, instead turning away sharply and making a quick retreat into the bedroom. This time she didn’t hesitate in opening the door. It shut behind her just as swiftly.

After a few moments spent listening to Severa thumping around in the bedroom, the night was still once more.

Camilla breathed out, then in again. Her breaths were even.

She stared at the blank walls until her eyes grew too dry and she was forced to shut them again.

Outside, the wind howled with anguish.

* * *

Corrin was dimly aware of the padding of feet on the carpet but didn’t open their eyes until they heard a door click shut. The sound was enough to wake them up for real. Even so, it took several seconds for their eyes to adjust in the dark.

After a minute of squinting, they were able to make out a dark lump that was Elise curled up on the other sofa. She was small enough that she didn’t seem to have any trouble stretching out on the two-seater. Corrin was a little cramped, but not as badly as somebody like Xander or Camilla might have been. They fit. Barely.

Speaking of which, Xander must have laid a sheet from the linen closet on Elise because Corrin could see the way she had wrapped it around herself like a cocoon.

Somebody had laid a sheet on themselves too, Corrin realized belatedly. They pulled the sheet closer to their chin and closed their eyes again. They didn’t immediately fall asleep.

There wasn’t a third bod in the living room. Corrin and Elise took up both couches by themselves, and they hadn’t spotted anyone on the floor. They didn’t remember Severa leaving, so they figured that that was who had gone out the door a moment ago.

Xander and Inigo must have gone to bed already. They dimly recalled Leo, Niles, and Owain leaving much earlier in the night; Camilla had never shown up. Elise had begun to doze shortly after the boys had left, and Corrin must have passed out with her not long after.

The cabin was still. Quiet. Cool. Outside, it sounded as though the rain had picked up again.

Corrin pulled the sheet around themselves a little tighter.

A few minutes ticked by as they laid there, too tired to take Severa’s lead and go back to their own cabin. Corrin didn’t want to go walking through any more rain after today. And the last thing they wanted was to interrupt any more private conversations either.

That was what kept Corrin awake despite the exhaustion. It was guilt.

Sure, the day had been fun despite the gloom. Camilla had become less of a cardboard cutout and more of a person as the afternoon wore on. Spending time with their family was all they wanted, and even Leo had joined them for a time after he grew tired of wandering bookstores. That had been more than nice.

But the others were gone now, although Elise slept not two feet away. It was just Corrin and their thoughts, and they were realizing now more than ever what a bad combination that was.

Because the day had been fun, yeah, but things between Camilla and Severa were still… not good. And that was partly their fault for interrupting. They had no idea how Camilla and Severa were going to share a bedroom with the awkwardness and silence permeating the air between them, if they could even share a bed at all. Corrin didn’t remember Camilla ever mentioning something like this happening before. Had this trip ruined their friendship forever?

Leo might have said Corrin was being too dramatic, but now that they had so much time to think, they couldn’t stop.

And _Inigo_. Corrin’s chest constricted a little more at the thought of him. He looked better today, thank goodness, but they still remembered how jumpy shaken and pale he’d looked crawling out of the lake after his accident, his smile so fake. There had been circles under his eyes today too, so faint that Corrin couldn’t be sure they weren’t imagining them.

They heard Inigo’s voice in their head, arguing that it wasn’t their fault, but it had been Corrin who had told Xander to invite Inigo along in the first place, Corrin who hadn’t paid attention to how far they were drifting out into the lake, Corrin who should have told Inigo not to worry about the dumb goggles.

That had only been a day ago, and yet it felt like longer. Did Inigo have nightmares like Elise thought he would? Was he putting on a brave face? Corrin hoped he was confiding in Xander, if nothing else, but a large part of them worried he hadn’t.

Corrin wrapped their arms around themself. Their fingers brushed the bracelet on their wrist as they did. Almost immediately, a burst of reassurance flooded their chest.

They rolled the beads back and forth along their wrist. It was too dark to make out the individual colors now, but the beads themselves were all Corrin needed.

A moment ago, they had felt very alone. The beads—one for every member of their family—reminded them that they weren’t.

Corrin ran their thumb over the beads and counted.

Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise.

Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura.

Mikoto. Sumeragi. Azura.

Their fingers paused over the final bead.

A heavy _thump_ against the window made Corrin jerk upright, heart pounding. Outside, thunder rumbled. After a moment, they realized it was only the sound of the storm jostling a tree or something and laid back down. It took a few beats longer to relax.

Corrin pressed their lips together and rolled their father’s bead against a bone in their wrist.

Elise’s suggestion of becoming detectives was showing some real promise at this point.

It hadn’t rained the morning Mikoto discovered her future husband had gone missing. But the lonesome, sorrowful feeling carried in by the storm outside blanketed the air so strongly that Corrin thought it should have—thought Mikoto must have woken up to the same torrent of rain and heavy isolation that kept Corrin awake now.

They knew they weren’t really alone. The bracelet helped remind Corrin of that, but even without it, they knew Elise had fallen asleep not two feet away and Xander was in the bedroom behind them. Corrin had no reason to feel as alone and regretful as they did.

Sometimes feelings couldn’t be explained away, however; sometimes they just were.

Corrin wanted to go outside and whisper _I’m here_ into the falling rain. If their father was out there somewhere, feeling just as guilty and sad as Corrin felt tonight—because of the rain or his abandonment of them or for any reason at all—they wanted him to know that he wasn’t alone. That Corrin was there too, shouldering the burden of being human right along with him. Whether he’d intentionally left Mikoto or if some other twist of fate had ensured they’d never meet again, Corrin wanted him to know that they were thinking of him, wherever he was.

“If you’re out there,” they whispered, and then didn’t finish.

The rain slammed harder against the windowpanes as if in answer.

They fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Inigo was very tired, very warm, and he had been struggling to fall asleep for some hours now.

The tiredness wasn’t new. A sense of fatigue had been lingering in his periphery all day, and it had only gotten stronger by the time it grew late enough for Inigo to casually slip off to bed. The warmth wasn’t a surprise either. He was tucked firmly against Xander’s chest, and Xander always gave off enough heat to power a steam engine singlehandedly. The tips of Inigo’s fingers and toes were always cold, so Xander’s heat was a welcome reprieve. He liked the feel of sleeping with his head tucked securely under Xander’s chin too. His boyfriend made for a suitable pillow, even if his muscles were sometimes a little lumpy and he complained about Inigo cutting off the circulation in his arm overnight. Altogether, the combination of fatigue, warmth, and a sense of security should have been more than enough to knock him right out.

It wasn’t.

He breathed out through his nose and readjusted himself against Xander’s chest to no avail. Something just wasn’t sitting right with him.

Something hadn’t been sitting right with him since they’d returned from town earlier, but it hadn’t gotten _bad_ until he’d tried to fall asleep.

It wasn’t that he was sick, he was pretty sure. Inigo had already snuck off to the bathroom twice that night with a distinctive churning in his stomach, and nothing had come of it. He might have called it a bad case of anxiety if he couldn’t figure out just _what_ he was feeling so anxious about.

Xander? No, he and Inigo were completely fine there.

Severa and Camilla? While Inigo was certainly sad on Severa’s behalf and hoping for the best, he wasn’t sure he felt worried to the point of anxiousness on his friends’ behalf.

The storm? Possibly. Inigo didn’t _love_ the rain, but unless he was driving through it, it didn’t typically worry him.

(His ankle? The thought of those fingers curling around his—

No, there weren’t fingers. There had never been—

_Stop._

_Don’t think about that_.)

There had been a low, continuous rumble of thunder in the distance for some minutes now. Something about the sound set Inigo’s teeth on edge. His stomach twisted uncomfortably.

(His ankle pulsed.)

Xander shifted slightly under him, snuffling against Inigo’s hair.

 _Be quiet_ , Inigo told himself. _What are you so scared about?_

Scared. That was the word.

Inigo was scared.

But why? He had no idea.

(Maybe if he thought about a little, then—

_Shut up.)_

He squeezed his eyes shut and told himself that he was in the bedroom with Xander, he was dry, the darkness wasn’t the same, he could turn on the light if he wanted—

His leg jerked of its own volition.

He knocked his knee against Xander’s shin. Inigo winced. Xander breathed out and thankfully didn’t wake.

The sound of the rain grew more intense, sloshing around in Inigo’s ears. He grimaced against Xander’s chest, which no longer felt as warm or comfortable.

If he could just get through the night—

If he could just get through the night, he’d be fine.

He told himself that it would all be fine.

* * *

Owain awoke sometime in the very early morning.

For once, he was reluctant to get out of bed, especially considering how much maneuvering it had taken to make sure all three of them could fit in there the night before. He awoke with hair that wasn’t his caught in the corner of his mouth and found he was too caught up in the euphoria of being sandwiched between Leo and Niles both to even mind.

It would have been a crime to disturb Leo from the strange way he had molded himself against Owain’s back in his sleep. He could barely stand to tear himself away from the sight of Niles’s relaxed, sleeping face so close to his own either.

Eventually, he managed to do just that. But it was a hard-fought battle.

Owain tried to extract himself with as smoothly as possible. He quickly found this to be an impossible task as he was laying in the middle of the bed. Niles, apparently a light sleeper, groaned and tiredly reached out when Owain jostled him. Behind him, Leo mumbled something incomprehensible.

“Sorry!” Owain whispered—probably louder than he should have.

Leo moaned unhappily. Niles grunted.

By the time Owain finally got his feet on the ground, Leo had already claimed Owain’s empty spot on the bed, burrowing into the warmth he had left behind. His face looked tense until Niles reflexively held him. Then he relaxed.

Leo was still sleeping, but Niles wasn’t. He squinted at Owain with his good eye.

Owain was tempted to whisper a suitably dramatic—if admittedly wordy—morning greeting, but he was too lovestruck at the sight of them to think of something suitable to say.

He quietly grabbed the shorts and t-shirt he’d set out the night and slipped out of the room.

The living room air felt cooler without Niles and Leo there to keep him warm. Owain was tempted to crawl back in again, but he hadn’t skipped a morning jog in a long time and he was reluctant to start now, romance or not.

He blearily glanced through a window while shrugging on his shirt and pulling the running shorts over the underwear he’d slept in. From a quick glance he could tell the sky was same foreboding gray as the day before. Owain had left his phone in the bedroom, so he couldn’t check the weather app, but he figured it would rain again today.

Oh well. If it started to rain while Owain was on his run, then it would be the first time.

He slipped on his shoes. Then he opened the back door, intent on doing his stretches in the yard.

He took a step onto the deck. Then paused.

And stared.

There was something wrong with this picture, he thought. He squinted out at the lake.

Later, he would blame the lack of sunlight and the early hour for why it took so long to realize that the dock that had previously sat behind Severa’s cabin had actually _vanished_ overnight.

Then he realized the dock hadn’t vanished. The lake had simply devoured it.

Owain stared some more.

The lake had risen several _yards_ overnight. He could see the way the water lapped at fresh grass, so much closer to the cabins than it had been the day before. It would have only taken a few steps off the deck for someone to be up to their ankles in it.

Which seemed crazy and impossible. Even to someone as inexperienced in meteorology as Owain, he thought it would have had to rain for several _days_ in order for the lake to rise that much. One afternoon of bad rain didn’t seem strong enough.

Owain was an expert in the crazy and impossible, though, so he took this new information in stride.

So the lake had risen overnight, and now the dock was gone. Okay. That wasn’t the worst thing to ever happen.

What he took in with less stride, however, was the realization that the water was _still rising._

He watched with fascination as the water slowly began to overwhelm a fist-sized stone sitting in the grass. It had been dry a moment ago, he was sure. Now he watched as water leisurely began to lap at its edges.

It wasn’t even raining.

“Oh, wow,” Owain marveled, staring at the water that very much should not have been rising as much as it was.

Had the lake always looked so dark? Maybe so, but he was squinting at it a little harder now than he had before. Nothing came of the scrutiny, sadly, although the water continued to rise.

After another beat, he realized he and the others were going to be in quite the predicament if they didn’t start moving soon.

He turned around.

Predictably, Leo and Niles did not believe him when he said the cabin was going to be underwater in a few hours.

“Owain,” Niles said into Leo’s hair, eyes closed and eyepatch still sitting on the bedside table. “I care about you very much, but I am not above kicking you out for the rest of the morning if you don’t let us sleep in until it’s Reasonable People Hours.”

Owain could hear the capitals in his voice and knew Niles was serious. Still, he pressed on.

“Alas, this is no trickery,” he said, all lingering fatigue having vanished in the face of strange lake phenomena. Niles and Leo apparently did not feel the same way yet, but that would be remedied soon. “My words may harken disbelief, but they are spoken in earnest! Spirits of the restless sea have taken residence within the calm waters, intending to wreak havoc on earthly beings such as ourselves!”

Leo grunted something into the pillow.

“What?”

“ _English_ ,” Leo grumbled, slightly louder.

“My dearest hearts,” Owain said, “you should really see this.”

Niles barely lifted his head from the pillow when he spoke. “Are you sure you’re not still half asleep?”

“Seriously.” Owain dropped the act. He looked over his shoulder anxiously, but of course the water hadn’t reached the back door yet. Yet. “You should get up.”

When he turned back, Niles was more awake and looking at Owain with a serious expression. He nudged Leo’s shoulder.

“Alright, alright,” Leo grumbled, pushing himself up. His normally flat hair stood up at strange angles. Owain wished he had the time to appreciate it more. “This had better be good.”

A minute later, after he and Niles had shrugged on their respective clothing and joined Owain on deck, Leo said, “Oh. You were serious.”

“I always speak the truth,” Owain said, distracted. The rock he’d been watching before had disappeared under the dark surface of the lake. The water seemed to rise another few centimeters every time he blinked.

“You sure did.” Niles’s shoulder bumped Owain’s own. “So I guess this cuts our vacation short.”

It wasn’t a question. Leo sighed.

“Unless we want to be standing on wet carpet in a few hours, it looks like it,” he said, squinting at the lake in disbelief. “But I don’t understand _how_ this is happening. It didn’t rain _that_ much yesterday. Is there some kind of dam I never noticed before or…”

He trailed off as though some invisible river that secretly fed into the lake were going to reveal itself.

“Maybe some of the water pipes that feed into these cabins broke,” Niles suggested. “That would explain some flooding.”

“ _Some_ flooding,” Leo allowed. “Not nearly this much. Not nearly this quickly.”

A sense of confusion and disbelief lingered in the air, but they couldn’t deny what lay before their eyes. Whatever the reason, the lake was rising. Leo and Niles probably wanted a reasonable explanation for that. Owain was willing to accept a more unreasonable explanation, but even he couldn’t think of anything at the moment.

The three of them stared at the lake for a few seconds longer, entranced at the impossibility.

Then Niles squeezed both Leo and Owain’s arms and broke the spell.

“Let’s wake the troops and pack up,” he said. “Preferably before we’re up to our ankles in water.”

They got to work.

A little less than forty minutes later, everyone had nearly finished packing. Owain, thankfully, had never unpacked in the first place. While Leo and Niles gathered their things, he pounded on doors and woke the others.

It took less time to get everyone else on their feet than it had taken to convince Leo and Niles that there was a problem in the first place. Camilla answered Owain’s harried explanation with silent acceptance and left him lingering on their deck for a moment in befuddlement after she shut the door; Elise and Corrin, who apparently had never left Inigo’s cabin the night before, sprang into action as soon as they saw the water for themselves. It didn’t take much more nudging to get everyone moving from there.

“I already called the property manager,” Leo said when Owain got back. “It went to voicemail. It’s still early, so I doubt they’re open yet. To be honest, I’m not even sure the call went through. I’ll probably have to call back later.”

Niles paused. “The call got dropped? Is something wrong with your phone?”

“Service is out,” Leo said with a frown.

“Really?” Owain said.

Niles pulled his phone out and whistled lowly. “A cell tower must have fallen. Probably in the storm last night.”

Owain checked his own phone and saw the one service bar was blinking in and out. Then it blinked out entirely. He shoved his phone back into his pocket with a frown. 

“Must have.” Leo shrugged, looking unsure. “We’ll probably get the deposit back, at least. I don’t know if there are other lodgers who need to be informed though.”

“We can alert the cabins with cars out front as we leave,” Owain suggested, though there weren’t any cabins like that as far as he could see. He hadn’t spotted any cars on the way in yesterday either. It felt like they were the only people on the lake.

Niles intertwined his fingers with Leo’s and rubbed the back of Leo’s hand with his thumb.

“The other campgrounds are probably safe,” he said. “Everyone with a tent probably cleared out with the weather yesterday. If they didn’t, well, our lake isn’t flooding because of rain anyway, so any others in the area are probably fine.”

“It could still be rising because of runoff we haven’t seen yet,” Leo said. He didn’t sound very invested in his own theory though. He’d been idly suggesting different explanations all morning and sounding less convinced by each one. “In any case, I hope you’re right.”

Niles squeezed Leo’s hand and sent Owain a significant look. Unsure what to do, Owain shoved his own sense of unease aside and grabbed the last of the toiletries from the bathroom.

That exchange had happened a few minutes ago. Now they were almost ready to go.

The front yard was muddy as hell and the roads were still slick from the storm the night before, but somehow they managed to toss their luggage in the back of Leo’s car without slipping.

It was amazing how fast everyone packed up again, Owain thought. Particularly Elise and Severa, whose suitcases had looked like they had exploded in their respective bedrooms when Owain caught a glimpse of them earlier. Owain ended up helping Severa pack by haphazardly shoving all the personal items he found in her cabin into her suitcases. Some of them might not have even been hers.

When it was all packed up, Severa’s bags were so stuffed with improperly folded clothes that Owain had to sit on top to make sure they could zip closed. Severa had grumbled about the sudden flood the whole time.

While helping Severa pack, Owain heard Camilla, Corrin, and Elise in the other bedroom doing the same things. Corrin and Elise popped over a few times to offer a necklace or hair tie that they thought was Severa’s, but Owain didn’t see Camilla again until they were all outside.

The most distinctive thing he noticed—other than Camilla’s practical disappearance—were the dark smudges under Severa’s eyes that spoke of a night without much rest.

He didn’t comment on it.

Even with help, Elise, Inigo, and Severa were the last to throw their bags into whatever open trunk they could find. Everyone was ready to leave within the hour, however.

They were just in time, too. Within that same amount of time, the lake had already reached the back steps of the cabins. Everyone was forced to use the front doors as entrances and exits rather than the back doors, as they had previously gotten into the habit of using. The water was visibly rising in the spaces between the cabins as well.

“It’ll reach the road soon if it doesn’t slow,” Niles observed calmly, still wearing the same frown he’d had on all morning. “How is it moving this fast? This isn’t a flood region.”

“It shouldn’t be rising _at all_ ,” Leo said, annoyed at having finally run out of theories. Already sitting in the driver’s seat, he tapped his finger against the steering wheel anxiously. Niles and Owain stood outside the car and spoke to him through the open passenger door. “But it shouldn’t matter. We’ll be gone soon.”

Overhead, the dark skies rumbled with the threat of thunder.

“Oh, good,” Niles said. “It’s going to rain again.”

Leo made an unhappy sound.

“Owain?” Niles said after a moment. “You haven’t said anything in a while. Don’t tell me a little water has shocked you into silence.”

Owain was quiet for a moment, observing the yard. Camilla was already sitting behind the wheel of her SUV, just like Leo. Xander was wrangling Elise out of her cabin with hopefully the last of her miscellaneous items in hand. Inigo was worriedly fiddling with his phone by his own car. The only person he couldn’t find was Corrin.

“Owain?” Niles said again.

“Can you feel it?” he asked.

“Excuse me?”

He tilted his head in Niles’s direction. “That sense of foreboding in the air. Something wicked on the waves. An evil is encroaching upon us, Niles of the Shadows. Are you ready to face it head on?”

Niles stared at him for a moment. Then he rolled his eyes, a wry smile playing at his lips. “Alright, you’re the same as ever then. Forgive me for thinking otherwise.”

Owain was a little offended. He thought he’d matched the atmosphere for those lines and everything.

“Hey!” Inigo called across the yard loudly. “Are you guys getting any cell signal? I can’t call my mom to tell her what’s going on.”

“A cell tower’s out!” Niles yelled back. When Inigo made a face but didn’t otherwise reply, Niles got into the passenger seat of Leo’s car, seemingly ready to go. Owain chose to hover on the grass a bit longer.

Standing in front of her cabin, Severa crossed her arms and eyed the water creeping up between the buildings. Without the extra time she usually needed to get properly dressed for the day, she had shoved her hair into a large, messy bun at the top of her head.

“Are we leaving yet or what?” she asked.

“Almost,” Xander said. Elise’s legs stuck out of the backseat of his car as she dug around for something. “The only person we’re missing is Corrin.” He raised his voice. “Corrin?”

“Coming!” Corrin answered as they walked through their cabin door. “Sorry, I was just grabbing…”

A drop of water landed on Owain’s nose. He flinched in surprise. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Niles’s head leaning out of the open passenger window, watching the exchange.

“Grabbing what?” Severa asked, annoyed. “Can we leave now?”

Owain heard Leo add a “ _Please_ ” from the front seat. A few more drops of water landed on Owain’s head. He thought about getting in the car.

Corrin hadn’t answered Severa. They stood still for a moment in the doorway of the cabin, looking dazed. They turned and took several shaky steps away from the cars.

“Corrin, dear,” Camilla called through her rolled down car window. “Did you forget something else? We should really be going now.”

Corrin had completely turned their back on the cars. They now stood between their cabin and Owain’s, looking out at the lake, which now lapped at the halfway point between the front and back yards.

Owain stood up straighter. When had the water gotten that close?

“Hello?” Severa raised her voice, sounding even more annoyed.

Owain hesitated, unsure of why he felt so uneasy.

Severa uncrossed her arms with a huff. Corrin stood still, seemingly oblivious to the way Leo and Xander were now calling out to them as Severa marched up and grabbed them by the wrist.

The moment Severa’s hand touched Corrin’s skin, the water that had slowly been creeping between the cabins _surged_ upwards like a great wave—or a giant fist, Owain realized with a jolt—and knocked Severa into the wall of a cabin with a sickening _thunk_.

Severa fell limp into the mud, unmoving.

Corrin, suddenly responsive again, stared wide-eyed at the space where Severa used to be. Owain’s brain could barely process what had happened in the first place.

Everyone had frozen. The world had come to a complete standstill in the face of such supernatural might.

A horrible, heart-pounding second passed.

Then the heavens opened, and the skies began to pour in earnest _._

Camilla’s awful screech of _“Severa!”_ was still ringing in Owain’s ears when he took off running, ignoring Niles and Leo’s shouts behind him as they clambered out of Leo’s car.

The rain was coming down in sheets, suddenly; it was unnaturally thick and chilly, but still not as shocking as seeing the lake come to life once more.

Corrin stood statue still as the water surged up again, its surface rippling with the raindrops. A tentacle of water as thick as a rowboat wrapped itself around Severa’s prone form and swallowed her whole. The water receded just as quickly as it came, and when the patch of land where Severa had lain was revealed once more, Owain saw she was gone.

His feet pounded across the grass, heart caught in his throat. 

Before, he had always been thrilled at the thought of coming face to face with the supernatural. With something dark and powerful and worthy of a story. But all he could feel now that he was faced with it was sheer horror.

Apropos nothing, the lake had _come to life._

Where was Severa?

His thoughts swirled. He couldn’t see her.

Camilla screamed again.

There was other scrambling movement behind Owain, but he couldn’t check to see what was happening. His vision had tunneled. The distance between Leo’s car and Corrin seemed a million miles.

“Corrin!” Leo yelled, overlapping with Niles’s, “Owain!”

“Stay back!” he shouted without looking.

Finally, he reached Corrin, who had fallen to their knees in the mud in the few seconds—the eternity—it had taken Owain to reach them. He slid to a slippery halt and grabbed Corrin by the shoulders, trying to pull them to their feet.

“Up, up, up,” he said quickly. “Away from the water!”

Corrin didn’t seem to hear him. They were almost completely limp in his grasp.

There were more shouts behind them, but it was Camilla sprinting past with all the force of a hurricane that made Owain jerk with surprise. She had made it out of her car and across the yard faster than seemed possible. She barked a _“Move!”_ as she thundered past.

Camilla hit the water with all the momentum of a freight train and barely stumbled. She kept pushing forward, the water sloshing around her ankles, then her thighs.

“Severa!” she called, searching frantically. _“Severa!”_

“Get back!” Xander shouted from behind them. “Get away from the water!”

Several other voices shouted their agreement. Camilla didn’t seem to hear them. Owain had to strain his ears in order listen; the sound of rain hitting the surface of the lake had begun to drown out all the other noise.

The surface of the lake was choppy with movement, but the unnatural way it began to churn again was still impossible to miss. Owain eyed the movement nervously, digging his fingers into Corrin’s arms as he struggled in vain to pull them away. They had simply turned to dead weight.

“Nobody else come any closer!” he shouted over his shoulder. Then he shook Corrin’s shoulders hard. “Corrin! Get up!”

That shake finally jolted Corrin out of their stupor. Their mouth was agape at Camilla, now up to her thighs in sloshing water. “Severa—”

A wave as tall as Xander rose out of the lake. It shot between the buildings like a whip, knocking Camilla flat on her back without stopping.

Corrin gasped. This time Owain knew what was coming.

“Owain!” somebody yelled.

He wrapped his arms around Corrin and held on tight.

* * *

“Almost,” they heard Xander say as they opened the cabin door. “The only person we’re missing is Corrin. Corrin?”

“Coming!” Corrin said as they shut the door behind them. They shoved the nearly forgotten cabin key into their pocket. “Sorry, I was just grabbing—"

_“Corrin.”_

Corrin’s mouth snapped shut.

_“Corrin.”_

There was no mistaking it this time. Severa’s mouth was moving, but hers wasn’t the voice that had caught Corrin’s attention.

They were dimly aware that they couldn’t hear Severa’s voice even though she was clearly talking. Listening to her didn’t seem as important as finding who had called their name, however. They turned from the group, their thoughts sluggish.

A voice drifted through the fog in their head once more.

 _“My child,”_ whispered the voice on the wind, on the waves. _“My child. I knew it was you.”_

Entranced, they took another step forward. They were sure they had never heard this voice before, and yet Corrin was sure they knew it well. But from where?

If they could only get closer—

 _“Yes, yes_ ,” the voice crooned. _“To me, Corrin. Come here.”_

One foot in front of the other, Corrin followed the voice.

 _“You came here for me. For_ me _. Here I am, child. Come. I have been gathering my strength since your arrival, and now I can finally bring you to me. I am waiting. Come here.”_

Another step.

_“Come to me.”_

Another step.

_“I love you.”_

Another step.

 _“Just this way_.”

Another step. They were getting closer, surely—

“ ** _Do not touch my child.”_**

Corrin jerked, alarmed at the sudden intensity of the voice, and found Severa at their elbow. When had Severa gotten so close?

Better yet, when had _Corrin_ moved so close to the water?

Before Corrin could put two and two together, they suddenly found themselves sprayed with water. A wave came out of nowhere, knocking Severa aside. Corrin could barely process what was happening.

Severa was slammed into the solid wall of Leo’s cabin by the force of the wave. She collapsed like a ragdoll and didn’t get up again.

Every speck of blood in Corrin’s veins turned to ice. They stared, mouth open.

 ** _“Don’t,”_** the voice from nowhere snapped as the water shot by again.

The water looked more like a whip this time—which Corrin could barely wrap their mind around. It bypassed them completely, swallowing Severa and leaving only bubbles behind.

Corrin stared.

They dimly registered the sounds of shouting and the fact it had begun to rain, but all of it was simply a dull roar in their ears, a numb sensation on their skin. It felt as though someone had stuffed cotton into their skull

Severa had vanished. The lake had—had eaten her somehow. They stared at the spot she used to be.

What had just happened? What was that voice?

Was Severa—

Corrin’s head swam.

They blinked, and suddenly the scenery had changed. Someone was shaking them. Camilla, suddenly much closer and up to her thighs in water, whipped her head this way and that as she searched the rising lake for something. For someone.

The sight of Severa’s limp body flashed behind Corrin’s eyes once more. They could see no sign of her in the murky blue of the lake.

They could barely get their mouth to move. “Severa—"

The lake rose up and up and _up_ , knocking Camilla aside like she wasn’t six feet of muscle and the strongest person Corrin had ever met, literally and figuratively.

Corrin tensed as the water, thicker than a tree trunk, whipped in their direction faster than they could react.

 _That’s going to kill me_ , they thought numbly. There was no time to move. Their heart iced over in fear.

Then there was only water.

* * *

When part of the lake rose off from the ground like a fist, looming larger than any human, Camilla’s first thought was to be vaguely impressed at how far special effects had come in the last few years.

Then Severa was thrown against a cabin wall with a sickening thump that would haunt Camilla forever.

Severa collapsed, unmoving, facedown in the mud. In that same moment, Camilla’s heart stopped beating and didn’t start again.

The storm began in earnest then.

“Severa!” she shrieked, tearing the car door open and throwing herself into a sudden wall of freezing rain.

Owain had the same idea. He gotten a head start while Camilla was still scrambling to her feet, slowed by sick panic and fear, but she was hot on his heels.

In horror, she watched as a thick tentacle of water rose out of the lake again, wrapping itself around Severa’s prone form and swallowing her whole.

The water receded. Severa disappeared.

 _What the fuck_ , she thought.

This wasn’t—this couldn’t be happening. There was no way any of this was real.

She ran without thinking, disbelief churning through her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elise hop out of the back seat of Xander’s car with a shocked look.

Before Camilla could even snap at her to stay back, Inigo, white-faced, snatched her around the waist and swung her back around like the feather-weight she was.

“Stay back!” Inigo said quickly, fear audible in his voice. He was talking to Elise, but he was looking at Xander. “Don’t—Don’t touch the water!”

Xander, equally pale, had frozen in place. He wasn’t looking at Inigo.

“Severa!” Elise shouted tearfully. She tried and failed to squirm out of Inigo’s grasp. “Corrin!”

Sisterly instincts breaking through the shock, Camilla shouted over her shoulder, “Stay there, Elise!”

There wasn’t time for more. She could only hope Inigo and common sense would take care of Elise and Xander for now. Corrin and Severa needed her more.

Leo and Niles had given chase after Owain as well, but Leo had slipped and fallen in the mud in his haste. Niles slowed at the sound of his startled yelp, looking over his shoulder.

“Don’t get any closer!” she snapped at them as she passed.

The water wasn’t right, she thought frantically. They couldn’t all make themselves easy targets at once.

Niles hesitated, clearly having similar thoughts as Leo pushed himself to his feet.

Camilla didn’t pay them any more attention. She ran.

By the time she made it to the water’s edge, Owain had already beaten her to Corrin’s side.

If she had been thinking normally, Camilla might have shoved Owain aside and checked on Corrin herself to make sure Corrin was okay. She would have thrown Corrin over her shoulder and tossed her into the back of her car, speeding away with the rest of her family in tow.

But Corrin was there, _alive_ , with someone who could help them, and Camilla still couldn’t see Severa.

Owain would take care of Corrin, Camilla thought frantically as she ran up to them. In hindsight, she would admit to not thinking clearly just then. In the moment, however, base instincts and adrenaline were all she had at her disposal.

“Move!” she barked. 

_Get Corrin out of here,_ she meant, but she didn’t have the breath to spare for all that. She was only peripherally thinking about the possibility of the lake rising up again.

Then everyone was behind her, and only the lake was ahead.

“Severa!” she screamed when her legs hit the water. She didn’t slow. _“Severa!”_

The whole moment felt surreal. The lake had—had moved like a living _thing._ That was impossible. It had just—just tossed Severa aside like she was _nothing_ even though she was _everything_ , even though she hadn’t deserved it, even though Camilla had been such a _coward_ , _she thought she’d been protecting herself but Severa was_ gone _now anyway, just like she’d feared—_

The rain churned up the surface of the lake, making it hard to see anything below the surface. Every raindrop that hit Camilla’s skin was another little pinprick of pain. She cursed it and all weather, searching the water desperately for a flash of red, a familiar shirt, anything. She shoved her hands under the water and swept them back and forth, feeling for any solid object under the surface.

She was so caught up in looking for Severa that she didn’t notice when the lake—whatever the hell it was—rose up again and slapped her aside like an insect.

Her back stung with the impact of the water. She was choking on a mouthful of grit and dirty water before she realized what was happening.

Coughing and now thoroughly soaked to the bone, she pushed herself back to her feet, struggling to wipe her vision clear.

The chill of the water had shocked some of the panic out of her, but it did nothing to numb the pain of being thrown back like that. Camilla _ached_. She may have lost a tooth. Ice quickly began to creep in under her skin.

“Severa!” she called again, choking on the last syllable. She spat.

She turned her head, looking towards the shore, and saw with horror that Owain and Corrin were no longer there.

“Corrin?” she yelled, searching the shoreline for her sibling. She hoped, desperately, that Owain had pulled them back to the cars, but she couldn’t see them by the road.

There was more shouting further inland, but it was all the pounding of rain to Camilla’s ears. She twisted in place frantically, calling Severa and Corrin’s name so loudly her throat quickly began to burn from the strain, but she saw no hide nor hair of either of them. The lake had taken them both.

Camilla was alone in the water, and that realization was worse than anything she had ever felt before.

An indescribably awful feeling built itself up in her throat.

It was just about to bubble past her lips when she slapped at the lake in a final burst of anger and her fist bounced off something solid.

She practically threw herself on top of Severa in her haste to pull the other woman up, hissing under her breath with exertion and relief. Severa was sopping wet, pale, and still horribly limp when Camilla lifted her torso out of the lake. Her hair had fallen out of her bun. Camilla didn’t hesitate in hooking her arms around Severa’s chest and dragging her to shore. 

The air was still as she pulled Severa to safety. As still as it could be with the rain, at least. No supernatural waves rose up to smack them back down as Camilla dragged Severa back to dry land, but that didn’t mean much.

Camilla’s stomach had filled with a leaden weight. There was a numbness in her ribcage where her heart should have been. Severa was in her arms, finally, but Corrin was gone, gone, _gone_.

They were both gone, honestly, and it hadn’t helped, nothing she had ever done had kept them from—

* * *

Camilla remembered how it felt to be alone.

She remembered it vividly. The empty hours, the featherlight hugs, the vacant stares when she tugged at her mother’s sleeve. Alone even when her mother was with her, and lonelier still when she wasn’t.

She was six by the time she realized that her mother didn’t love her.

That wasn’t entirely true. Her mother _had_ loved her. She loved Camilla the way one loved a pawn for how it could serve a king. She loved Camilla the way you could only love something disposable.

By the time her mother was gone, Camilla had long since decided she would never love anyone like that. She’d decided she was going to love people the right way.

And she had worked hard at it. She stood by Xander when their father yelled at them, did her duty as oldest sister. She kept tabs on little Leo, encouraged his science projects, and shuffled him off to bed when he tried to sleep in a reading chair instead of his room, even when he was grumpy and complaining he was too old for a bed time. She carried Elise to bed herself, indulged in her youngest sibling’s games, and fussed and fussed over Corrin to they would never feel like the outsider, like the one who didn’t belong.

She kissed bruises. She hid bruises. She held them all close and promised she would never, ever leave them.

Her mother had never been family, Camilla had decided. She’d put the final nail in that coffin the day her mother had left.

Xander, Corrin, Leo, Elise— _they_ were her family. They were the ones whom Camilla was safe with; they were the ones whom Camilla ensured would always feel safe with her. Safe and warm and loved, and never replaceable. Not the way outsiders were.

And if Camilla didn’t open herself up the same way again—if she had loved and _loved_ her mother and had been left behind anyway—if she shielded her siblings from her experiences because she never wanted them to feel even a ghost of the same loneliness—if her mother had proved she wasn’t really family, if she proved anyone outside Camilla’s bubble was dangerous, would stick the knife in her again when they eventually left—because they always left eventually—if she—if someone—

If, if, if—

* * *

Leo and Niles met her on the shore, saying something about getting out of the reach of the lake—if such a thing was even possible. A lot of impossible things had proven themselves to be not so in the last few minutes.

A part of Camilla wanted to slap their hands away and tell them that she would carry Severa by herself, but the other half of her felt unworthy and heavy with guilt, so she gave in.

“Camilla,” Leo said gravely as he and Niles dragged Severa away from the water. His hair was plastered flat to his head from the downpour of rain Camilla couldn’t feel anymore. “You’re shaking. Are you—Is she—” His eyes flickered away and back. Jaw set, he said, “Did you see Owain and Corrin—”

“Lay her down,” Camilla commanded. They were closer to the cars now. Niles and Leo helped lower Severa down gently, grave faced. Camilla barely registered the way Leo barked Xander’s name and then took off for the lake again with Niles.

Her vision had tunneled.

The world was crumbling around her. 

* * *

Corrin was trapped in the world’s most frightening underwater slide.

They were completely engulfed in water, zipping through the lake faster than they could comprehend. They tumbled over themselves, caught in a jetstream too strong to fight. They struggled not to take a breath out of fear.

Eyes squeezed shut, the memory of Inigo’s near death played on the back of their eyelids. Corrin’s heart pounded in their chest as water whizzed around their head. Were they going to be smashed against a log? Were they going to be held under until they drowned?

They’d slapped a hand over their nose and mouth to keep from breathing in any water the moment the lake had grabbed them on the shore—just the one hand, as something painfully tight had worryingly wrapped itself around their other arm—but the seconds stretched by in an eternity. Corrin didn’t know which way was up, only that they were being moved quickly through the water.

People tended to drown under waterfalls because of the strength of the water pouring down from above, keeping victims trapped in a cycle until the debris underneath battered them enough to kill or making it up for air became impossible. They imagined the force pulling them along was as strong as the average waterfall. It sure felt that way.

Corrin pictured themselves as a drowning victim, pictured themselves with dead eyes and blue lips. Their stomach lurched.

The only thing louder than the rush of blood in their ears was the dull whoosh of the waves as they were being dragged—somewhere.

The pressure on Corrin’s arm let up.

Suddenly, the jetstream around them disappeared. Corrin swirled underwater, too disoriented from the sudden stop to know which way was up. They thrashed underwater, panicked, desperate to find the surface. Their chest burned.

A few bubbles left their mouth of their own volition. Desperate for air, Corrin clawed their way after them, not considering how stupid the move was until a few seconds later. They didn’t know which direction lead to the surface. Corrin realized they were going to drown here.

_They were going to drown here._

They broke the surface of the lake coughing. Heavy rain churned up the surface of the water, making Corrin sputter again when it landed in their mouth, convincing them a brief moment that they were still drowning. Then they felt the wind whipping through their wet hair and realized they had made it to the surface.

Corrin sucked down the oxygen greedily, the tension in their chest finally dissipating. They swiped at their eyes to clear their vision and twisted in the water, searching for shore.

Water, water, water. Rain. Rolling, gray clouds in the sky, getting lower by the second.

No land.

“No,” Corrin said, their head on a swivel. Everywhere they looked was darkness. “No, no, no, no.”

There was land. They _knew_ there was land. The rain just made it hard to see, that was all. The clouds were thick and heavy, rolling over the edges of the lake in waves, and _there was land._ They _weren’t_ going to die out here.

“Corrin!”

Corrin jerked. They swiveled again and, to their shock, saw a familiar silhouette swimming towards them through the agitated waves. Not Severa’s, like part of Corrin was still hoping and searching for, but—

“Owain?”

“Here!” Owain said loudly, drawing closer.

Corrin swam over to meet him. The features of his face became clearer through the veil of rain as he approached. It was definitely Owain. Some of Corrin’s panic faded with the sudden appearance of a friend, although they didn’t calm completely.

“What—” Corrin tried to steady their breaths. “How did you—”

“I was holding onto you,” Owain said, coughing a little. He grimaced. He looked somehow more waterlogged than Corrin felt. “I couldn’t keep my grip the whole way. Are you alright?”

“You were holding on to me?”

For a moment, Corrin felt too surprised to be panicked. The jetstream had felt so _strong._ So present. They were doubtful they could have held on to Owain themselves had their positions been reversed. They would have doubted Owain’s ability to hold on at all if they hadn’t been looking him in the eye right then.

“Yeah, I—”

“Wait, nevermind.” Corrin shook their head and then spat a lock of hair out of their mouth. “Later. We have to get out of here. Can you see the shoreline?”

Owain shot a look over his shoulder. They both had to raise their voices to be heard over the sound of the rain.

“There is a malicious aura in the air,” he said. “Its intentions are as mystifying as this rain that—"

“Owain!” Corrin said, incredulous.

“It’s hard to see in the rain!” Owain said loudly, splashing. “I’m kind of freaked out right now and talking like that helps me! Sorry!”

“It’s fine!” Corrin shouted.

Then, realizing they were shouting and that they needed to calm down now, they adjusted themselves and said, “It’s fine. I mean, sorry, I’m kind of freaking out too.” They quickly added, “Let’s just pick a direction and go with it.”

Owain nodded. They both quickly took off in a random direction.

So long as they weren’t grabbed again, it didn’t matter which way they swam. They could make it to shore again, even if it took some time. The lake was big, but it wasn’t an ocean.

Kicking their feet back and forth, Corrin realized they had lost their sandals at some point. Probably for the better. Thank goodness they had opted for shorts today. Jeans just would have dragged them down more. Luckily Owain’s jogging clothes didn’t look too heavy either. 

“Hey,” they called out after a few seconds of swimming, needing to distract themselves from the fear of not knowing what was going on or how the others were faring. “How are you—”

A force wrapped itself around Corrin’s ankle and reeled them backwards like a fish on a line.

Corrin screamed. Their vision was all bubbles again. Their head fell below the waterline, and they choked the water that shot up their nose as they struggled.

They were still thrashing in the water when they realized they had been abruptly released. It took another moment of coughing and forcefully gathering their bearings to hear Owain calling their name.

“Corrin!”

“Owain!” they coughed.

Owain was farther away than he should have been. Just how far had Corrin been dragged in the span of a second? Scared, Corrin started to swim towards him.

 _“No,”_ a voice whispered. _“Don’t… go…”_

Corrin froze.

They blinked, and suddenly Owain had crossed the yards between them.

“Corrin?” he said worriedly, gripping the wet fabric of their shirt. “Hey, are you with me? Corrin?”

“Yeah!” Corrin said after a beat. “Yeah, let’s—we have to get out of here!”

They started to swim again but noticed Owain wasn’t with them. They reluctantly stopped.

“Come on,” Corrin said. “We have to go before we get grabbed again! Let’s go!”

Owain looked considering.

“ _Owain_ ,” they urged.

“No,” Owain said slowly. “I don’t think it would grab us. Just you.”

Corrin’s heart thundered in their chest.

“What?”

It was growing increasingly more difficult to keep their head above water, exhaustion beginning to overpower the adrenalin, and every second spent in the water made Corrin even more fearful of being grabbed again. But they couldn’t leave until they knew Owain was going to follow.

“What are you talking about?” they asked.

“When Severa touched you, she—” Owain paled further as Corrin’s heart skipped a beat. “ _You_ were the one grabbed on the shore. I just held onto you. And just now, you were grabbed again, but I’m fine. It never touched me. It doesn’t care if _I_ leave.”

Corrin’s chest grew tighter as the implications of what he was saying set in.

“Corrin,” Owain said gravely, “I don’t think it’s going to let you go.”

* * *

“Owain!” Niles shouted at the top of his lungs. “Corrin! Owain!”

To his right, Leo echoed his calls. They were both clutching one another’s hands. The lake had seemingly settled for the moment, but Niles wasn’t going to risk Leo being swept away too. Owain and Corrin’s disappearance had already filled him with trepidation and terror as quick as the rising tide. He couldn’t risk Leo being swept out too, even if it meant Niles got taken as well.

Had it been anyone else, Niles would have thrown Leo in the car and driven them both out of there without looking back.

But this was _Owain_ they were talking about, not a stranger. And Corrin had done too much for Niles to simply abandon them now. So he braved the danger and ran along the shore with Leo, straining through the thick rain and growing fog for any sign of life.

So far, nothing.

Had it been Niles or Leo who had been taken, there was no doubt in Niles’s mind that Owain would have jumped in the water already and begun a search of his own, danger and crazy magic bullshit be damned.

As if thinking the same thing, Leo paused in his shouting and grimly said, “Getting in the water would be stupid.”

“Suicide,” Niles agreed. “And pointless.”

Neither of them turned away from the lake.

They were each trying to convince the other. If the urge to dive into the water to search for Owain and Corrin were half as strong for Niles as it was for Leo, who was missing not just a lover and a friend but also his family, then it was a miracle Niles hadn’t lost him yet.

He clutched Leo’s hand tighter. Leo’s fingernails stung where they dug into Niles’s skin, but neither of them loosened their grip.

“Corrin!” Leo shouted again. “Owain!”

Niles joined him. Every now and again they paused, struggling to hear anything over the sound of the rain. The water was too dark to see through, and the clouds made it difficult to see very far out either.

The clinical part of Niles’s brain reminded him that Corrin and Owain could have been floating face down in the water only a few feet out of sight, and Leo and Niles would have been helpless to spot them. They could have been dead already. They likely were dead already. Maybe Leo and Niles were stupid and well on their way to being the next victims.

Even so, he wouldn’t stop looking.

He’d seen how fast the water could move when it wanted, even if he didn’t understand how or why. Owain and Corrin could have been swept to the other side of the lake in the time it had taken Niles and Leo to travel an eighth of that distance. It was possible that they were just too far out to spot but still alive. It was also possible they were on the other side of the lake, dragging themselves out of the water and running for safety while Niles and Leo searched for them on the opposite shore.

Niles had never been very good at convincing himself of false truths.

But even so.

 _“Corrin!”_ Niles shouted as Leo called for Owain.

Somewhere behind them, Severa was dead and Camilla was—disassociating. Panicking. Something. Niles had sadly recognized the blank look on her face when he helped pull Severa from the water, but now wasn’t the time to do something about it.

Whatever help Camilla needed, Xander and Inigo were there with Elise. One more person standing over her with a hand on her shoulder wasn’t going to help right now.

It was too late for Severa. He didn’t think it to be callous or cruel. Unfortunate as it was, Severa was gone. Niles had seen her clearly too.

Until he saw their bodies for himself, there was still a chance Corrin and Owain could be saved. _Those_ were the people who needed him right now. They were the ones who Niles needed to see, needed to save if possible, however much his brain was telling him that he was already too late, too slow. Niles needed them, needed to search, the same way he needed Leo’s hand in his own. The cold, the rain, and the danger were all secondary to that.

They continued to make their way down the shore.

* * *

“ _It_?” Corrin repeated. “What _is_ it? I have no idea what’s going on!”

Owain didn’t have the answers, they knew. But too much fear had bundled itself inside Corrin’s chest to be sequestered away neatly. It took all they had to keep their head above water and breathe more or less evenly.

“There are a few options,” Owain said. “Let’s speculate. What do we know about this thing?”

“I—I don’t know.” Corrin could barely think. “I can’t even believe this is happening, honestly.”

“Let’s think it through. Come on, anything is helpful.”

Owain sounded much calmer than he had any right to be. Like supernatural stuff happened to him all the time. Corrin bit their lower lip. Despite his even voice, the paleness of Owain’s face gave him away. They rethought what they were going to say.

“It could pull us both underwater and drown us at any time,” Corrin said, eyeing the lake nervously.

They hadn’t meant it as anything except a warning, but Owain said, “Great. What else? Has anything weird happened recently?”

Before this morning’s craziness, he probably meant. Corrin shook their head. It was a little hard to think with the ever-looming threat of drowning above their heads, but Owain’s questions gave Corrin something to focus on, which did help a little.

_“Corrin…”_

The pounding of Corrin’s heart slowed. Their panic began to ebb away.

_“Corrin…”_

Owain splashed them in the face.

Corrin jerked back. “Hey! What—”

“Why do you keep zoning out?” Owain asked.

Corrin blinked. “What?”

Owain looked serious. “Just now, you weren’t listening to me. You were listening to something else. What is it?”

“I—” Realizing that sounding like a crazy person was the least of their worries at this point, Corrin said, “I don’t know. There’s this voice. It’s… calling for me. But I don’t know what it wants.”

“You, obviously,” Owain said like it was that simple.

Corrin did not think it was that obvious, but they were not an expert in the occult like Owain apparently was. They didn’t know how Owain could be so matter of fact about all this either. Especially in the middle of a crisis. Maybe it helped him cope or something. Corrin made a mental note to talk to Leo about his boyfriend’s hobbies if— _when_ they made it out of this.

“What does it sound like?” he asked, perhaps a bit eagerly. “Vengeful? Demonic?”

Corrin licked their lips. “Tired, I think.”

They tensed, waiting for the voice to reappear, but all Corrin could hear was the sloshing water and the rain.

“Tired?” Owain scrunched up his nose. “Hm. Maybe it’s minor demon then? It could have exhausted itself from those big power displays earlier. It might be saving energy now.”

“ _Demon_?” Corrin said, incredulous. “You think the lake is—what, possessed?”

“I mean, it’s either you or the lake,” Owain said. “And since water seems to be the theme of the day, my money is it being the lake. Unless you want it to be you?”

“Not really,” Corrin said.

“The lake it is then.”

The idea of anything—especially something so indistinct as a body of water—being actually, for real, honest to goodness _possessed_ felt doubtful at best to Corrin. But clearly something otherworldly and powerful was happening, so they had to admit their view of the world needed a few tweaks now, to say the least. Even if those tweaks seemed crazy.

On the plus side, focusing on the dubiousness of the situation kept Corrin from focusing too much on the thick anchor of dread in their stomach.

“Okay,” they said after a moment, Owain having apparently waited for them to process this information. “Let’s say demons are real, and the lake is possessed or haunted or—whatever. What do we do?”

They almost asked _“How long do we have before it’s at full power again?”_ but part of Corrin didn’t want to know the answer, even if Owain did somehow know it.

“If we had some proper purification tools, we could probably do something,” Owain said.

“Tools? Like what kind of tools?”

“Tools. You know.” Owain gestured. Corrin did not know. “Like salt and stuff.”

“Okay.” Corrin nodded reasonably. “Except I apparently can’t go two feet without getting dragged back to this spot, and I don’t think we have time for you to find a dump truck of salt, so. Let’s think of something else.”

Looking a little abashed, Owain said, “Right.”

He quickly regained his momentum.

“The real question is,” he said, “why is this entity interested in _you_? Does it sense that I’m too strong to be taken advantage of?” Ignoring Corrin’s disbelieving look, he continued, “But what about everyone else? Why aren’t they hearing voices as well? There has to be something that only you can do or have done that gives you a special connection to this entity.”

Corrin decided not to ask if Owain felt as jealous as he sounded about not being able to hear the supposed _demon’s_ voice. That would definitely be going down the wrong track.

They tried to focus on the more reasonable question: why Corrin?

They had an inkling of what separated them from the others. Corrin didn’t want to consider it seriously though.

Owain drifted closer. “Have you found any lost artifacts recently? Read any mysterious chants in old books aloud? Bought any strange jewelry?”

He looked pointedly at their bracelet, which had miraculously hadn’t fallen off Corrin’s wrist yet.

“No!” Corrin pulled their arm close to their chest. “I haven’t done any of those things! And my bracelet is completely normal! Elise bought it for me.”

“If you say so,” Owain said doubtfully, backing off a little. “But then what is it? Presumably you’ve never experienced this sort of phenomena before—”

“I think I would have noticed.”

“—and presumably nobody else has been swallowed up by water tentacles recently—”

“We definitely would have seen that on the news.”

“Then the trigger for this event has to be _you_ , and it has to be something unique to this lake!” Owain announced. Corrin winced. “And if you haven’t disturbed any long-forgotten tombs recently or had a significant birthday or lost any significant chunks of time or—

“ _Owain_ ,” they said.

Owain let some of the excitement drain away. “Sorry. Anyway, if you haven’t done anything out of the ordinary recently, then the answer has to be _here_. And the unique connection _you_ have to this lake that nobody else does is—"

He closed his mouth, finally catching on. Corrin looked back uneasily.

The rain fell harder.

* * *

Inigo’s phone vibrated again. He pulled it away from his ear, already knowing what he’d see for the twentieth time in a row.

The _No Service_ icon in the top left corner of the screen was distorted by the rain, which fell like they were in a monsoon. His fingers slid off the glass as he tried to dismiss the _Call Failed_ message once more. He couldn’t wipe the glass clean. There was too much water. His phone was probably going to short-circuit soon.

Shaking, he wiped his phone on the front of his wet shirt and accidentally dropped it in the grass. Inigo nearly threw up.

Just a few feet away, Xander and Camilla were on their knees, hunched over Severa—

Over her—her–

Bile rose in his throat.

If he hadn’t already been on his knees, Inigo would have collapsed right there.

“Inigo, keep trying emergency services,” Xander threw over his shoulder. His focus was entirely on Camilla, to whom he asked, “Did you check?”

 _Check what?_ Inigo wondered frantically. Severa’s pulse? Her breathing? For broken bones? Was she—could she be—

“ _Camilla_ ,” Xander said firmly.

Inigo couldn’t see most of Severa’s body through the wall of Camilla and Xander’s broad backs. Just her feet and a splayed arm. She didn’t look like she was moving.

After Severa had—had been hit and Camilla ran towards the lake, past Corrin and Owain, Inigo had yelled _“Don’t touch the water!”_

He’d grabbed Elise because she was closest and he’d seen the way she tried to follow her sister. She’d squirmed. He hadn’t let her go. She was so small. The sensation of seaweed had curled around his feet, anchoring them both into place.

He’d grabbed Elise, but he’d been looking at Xander, heart-stricken.

Because Xander loved his family more than anything on the planet, and there was zero doubt in Inigo’s mind about what Xander was willing to do for them.

Inigo had thought, _If he gets in that water, I’m going to lose him._

Xander couldn’t swim. He couldn’t swim, but he would do _anything_ for his family, and Inigo had been struck with the horrifying thought that he would be forced to make one of two choices:

Either he would be forced to let Elise go so she could throw herself into danger while Inigo threw himself at Xander or he would have to let Xander kill himself while Inigo kept hold of Elise.

Inigo, horrified, hadn’t know what to do.

A part of him whispered that he _had_ known. That when it came down to it, Xander was a grown man, and Elise was just a kid. Inigo loved Xander more than anyone he’d ever dated before—the extent of which he hadn’t dared to put a voice to yet—but still. He didn’t know if he could live with himself if he didn’t choose Elise.

Xander would never forgive him otherwise. Inigo wouldn’t forgive himself either.

In that same moment, however, with Elise jerking in his arms and Xander staring at the water like he was going to take off at any moment, another part of Inigo hissed that he was _weak_ , that he would be letting Xander die out of cowardice and selfishness, too caught up in his own fear of the lake to put his life on the line for someone he supposedly loved. Elise was a smart girl who knew better, the ugly voice said, and somebody else would grab her if Inigo let go, wouldn’t they? _Xander_ was the one who would be mistakenly left to his own devices until it was too late. His pride could get the best of him.

Torn, Inigo had frozen.

The lake rose up. Camilla was thrown back. Owain and Corrin disappeared. Inigo’s grip on Elise tightened as she screamed.

But Xander didn’t run towards the water like Inigo expected. When Camilla was knocked aside and Corrin swallowed, Xander took a step forward, like he was about to take off. Elise and Inigo both yelled.

Xander stopped. He looked back at them, face pale and eyes wild, rain beginning to weigh his hair down against his forehead.

Inigo caught his eye, fearful. Shaking.

Xander looked back at the lake. He didn’t move.

Slowly, Inigo loosened his grip on Elise. They were all staring at the lake in disbelief by that point, too shocked to speak. There was no point in running anymore.

Corrin and Owain were _gone_ , and Inigo didn’t think he was ever going to breathe again. Every scream of Severa’s name that left Camilla’s mouth made him flinch.

As she waded through the water, Inigo’s eyes drifted over to Xander’s back, so close and yet so far. In the midst of the horror, he found himself silently thanking any god that would listen that he hadn’t been forced to make that frightening choice.

Then Camilla had found Severa.

Now—

Now Owain and Corrin were _gone_ —Inigo hadn’t even begun to process that, not really—Camilla was on autopilot. Severa was—

She was—

Inigo’s whole body had gone numb. He couldn’t even feel the chill of the rain anymore. Only his ankle throbbed. It wasn’t a physical pain.

With trembling hands, he reached for his phone only to drop it a second time. None of his calls were going through anyway. There was no service. What was he even trying to do?

“Camilla,” Xander said again, distantly.

A steadier hand than his own picked up Inigo’s phone. His head swam as he looked up at Elise, crouched next to him.

She held out the phone. Inigo only registered the slight unsteadiness of her hand when he stared.

“It’s going to be okay,” Elise said, voice uncertain. “We’ll call an ambulance, and…” She swallowed. “We’ll call, and Severa will be…”

Her lower lip trembled. Inigo felt his doing the same.

Inigo’s tongue had trouble moving without considerable effort. “Elise…”

She looked at him with big eyes.

“Camilla!” Xander said loudly.

Inigo couldn’t look anywhere except Elise.

She took his hand and squeezed, slipping the phone into his wet palm.

“They’ll be okay,” Elise said. “Corrin is strong. They promised, after they met Mikoto and Ryoma and everyone else that first time. They’ll always come back. And Owain…”

Inigo sucked in a breath.

“Owain has to come back too,” Elise said, “for Leo and Niles and the rest of us.”

It would have been so easy to close his eyes and block everything out. Inigo struggled to remain present. Aware.

He swallowed again, rain and tears blurring his vision. Out of the corner of his eye, he was terribly aware of the corpse of his friend on the grass.

“How’d you get to be so brave?” asked Inigo.

“It’s okay to be scared,” said Elise.

 _No Service_ said his phone.

Elise looked down. The hem of Inigo’s jeans had ridden up, exposing the ugly green and purple of his bruise.

Camilla lunged, and Xander yelled.

* * *

On her hands and knees in the mud, Camilla clutched at Severa’s shoulders and shook her.

“Severa,” she gasped, not recognizing her own voice in her ears. “Wake up. _Wake up!_ ”

Severa’s head lolled. Her pale cheek fell against the grass.

Something inside Camilla shattered.

“Camilla.” Xander grabbed her wrist. Her head jerked up. His face was grim, but his voice was much more even than she felt. “We have to be calm about this. Check if she’s breathing.”

“She’s _not_.”

Over his shoulder, Xander said, “Inigo, keep trying emergency services.” To Camilla, he said, “Did you check?”

She hadn’t, but she knew, she _knew_ —

_Fingers interlacing. “So, what’d you think of that movie?”_

_Severa laid a cool palm on her back. “Don’t burn, okay?”_

“Camilla.”

_“Here,” she said, holding out a spoonful of ice cream. “Have some of mine.”_

There were dark spots in her vision. The world melted into itself.

_“Hey…,” Severa started hesitantly. “I’m… really glad we met. Is that weird to say? Whatever. I guess I’m weird then. But I mean it.” She looked away, then back at Camilla, scrunching up her nose. “…Okay. Mushy time over. Let’s hit the road.”_

“Camilla,” Xander said.

_“Hey, Camilla? Can I talk to you about something? Maybe in the bedroom?”_

“Camilla, if you can hear me, Inigo is on the line with emergency services. I understand that it’s difficult, but you need to let go of Severa so I can—”

“No,” she said.

_Camilla pulled away first._

_“I really like you.”_

_Always_.

_“I’m not a yo-yo! You can’t just yank me around and expect me to be happy with it!”_

_Always._

_“You don’t get to cut me off every time I want to be honest about what’s between us just because you refuse to be!”_

“Camilla!”

_“Camilla!”_

She smashed her mouth against Severa’s, and light came back into the world. Wet hair had fallen into her eyes, but Camilla paid it no mind as she continued her mockery of a kiss. Severa’s mouth was cold and slack against her own as Camilla fed her air.

If Severa wasn’t going to breathe on her own, then Camilla would breathe for her.

“Camilla!”

And when she woke up— _she had to wake up_ —Camilla would apologize, would explain, would—

Her chest burned with feeling for the first time in what felt like days as Xander wrenched her away.

“Camilla, stop!”

Under her hands, Severa’s body jerked.

* * *

Denial welled up in Corrin’s throat. “I—I hear what you’re saying, but that doesn’t make any sense! Why would my dad—We don’t even know for sure that he—”

However much they wanted to deny it, Corrin remembered how the disembodied voice had crooned, _“My child.”_

Corrin’s throat went tight.

It was difficult to wipe the tears welling up in their eyes with wet hands. They sniffed.

Owain, surprisingly, didn’t look very happy about this discovery.

“I’m really sorry,” he said seriously. “You shouldn’t be hearing this from me. But I think it’s pretty obvious that your dad died a long time ago, if he loved your mom as much as she says. Otherwise he would have found her by now. He would have come back.”

Corrin sniffed and shook their head. They just couldn’t believe it, even if Owain’s words made sense. As much sense as demons and strange voices made, at least.

 _Demons_. No, no way. Their father wasn’t evil.

Whatever reason their dad had disappeared—even if he had died all those years ago—Mikoto hadn’t loved a monster.

Thunder rumbled overhead. Corrin shivered, though they couldn’t feel the chill of the water anymore.

“Corrin, I get that this may be a lot to take in—”

“No,” they said. “No. I get that my dad’s probably dead, okay? I’ve always known that! But _this_ isn’t him! He loved us! He wasn’t a monster! He wouldn’t hurt me or my friends or—or worship a devil or _whatever_ you think happened, _okay_?”

They were shouting by the end, partly out of grief and partly to be heard over the sound of rain. Visibility had been poor before, but now Corrin strained to see Owain even a foot or two away. The wind whistled around them so sharply it both felt and sounded like they’d been plopped in the middle of a tornado.

Part of Corrin expected Owain to point out that they had even met their father, so they wouldn’t know what he had or hadn’t done, but he didn’t.

“I didn’t say your dad was evil!” Owain said.

“Then what are you trying to say?” Corrin asked, jaw tight with tension. “Why— _How_ could my dad do something like this if he wasn’t some kind of, of demon?”

“Because he loves you!”

Corrin jerked back. “What?”

Owain swam close enough to brush Corrin’s arm with his own. He looked like he was putting a lot of effort into staying above water now.

“Quick,” he said. “What kind of things has that voice been saying to you?”

Corrin struggled to remember. “Things like… ‘come to me’ and wanting you guys to stay away. And… And calling me his child.”

Those words: _My child_. The indisputable connection Corrin felt to that invisible force. They couldn’t think of another explanation than the voice really being their father, but even so…

How could somebody that Mikoto spoke of so fondly, somebody who supposedly had loved Corrin before they were even born, ever do something like this? How could they be _human_?

“But that’s just it!” Owain cried. Startled, Corrin’s shoulder’s jumped. Had they said those things aloud? “Parental love can move heaven and earth! It rains hellfire down on one’s enemies! It moves mountains!”

Lightening flashed overhead. Corrin felt as though they’d been struck. “It… could move a lake?”

“Exactly!” Owain said, sounding too pleased with himself. “Your dad loves you so much, Corrin!”

Love was supposed to be a dream, not a nightmare, Corrin thought. They swallowed their protests, however, curious about what Owain was going to say despite themself.

“We’re witnessing the result of that love right now,” Owain said. He had that fevered look Corrin recognized from when he was in the mood to spin tales. “Twenty-two years of separation and grief! If your dad could have met you before, he would have. But instead, he’s been trapped here, with too much unfinished business to move on. And now you’ve returned, and he’s not letting you go! It makes so much sense!”

Corrin shook their head. “That’s not love.”

“It could have been love at the start,” Owain argued. “Maybe he was just a normal ghost at first. Maybe he loved your mom more than anything, like you said. But twenty years is a long time! Maybe your dad got lonely with your mom gone or angry at how he died or…” He shrugged helplessly. “Even benign spirits can become sullied over time.”

So many maybes. Owain spoke with authority, but they doubted he knew better than they did. Corrin felt ridiculous for listening. Neither of them understood what was happening any better than the other.

Something about theory rang true though. Somewhat, at least. Corrin hysterically wondered if the connection to their ghostly father went both ways or if it were just wishful thinking.

“You watch too many movies,” they said weakly.

They weren’t sure Owain could even hear them over the sound of water. He laughed somberly anyway.

“Yeah,” he said. “I might.”

“So, what?” They couldn’t help but ask. “My dad wants to kill me so we’ll all be ghosts together? Because he’s upset that I’ve been gone?”

Didn’t ghosts always crave revenge? They did in movies.

But none of this was Corrin’s _fault_.

“Probably!” Owain said. Corrin must have made an upset sound because Owain scrambled to correct himself. “Or! Because he wants to live in the ghostly afterlife with you forever! Out of love!”

Even Owain obviously didn’t believe that. They appreciated the effort he was making though.

The lake had grown so rough Corrin and Owain were spitting out mouthfuls of water between every other word. The choppiness of the water didn’t feel natural at all—not any more than the growing storm above them did. If their dad—their _dad_ , the one causing all of this—had tired himself out like Owain suggested earlier, he wasn’t tired any longer.

Corrin, on the other hand, fought to keep their head above water with all they had. Playing tag with Elise and Inigo had been easy with the innertube; they’d been able to take breaks then. Now they were realizing just how much effort it took to float in one place without any timeouts or floaties to hold onto.

Corrin might have risked another attempt at swimming to shore if they weren’t so afraid that the next time the water took them hostage it wouldn’t let them go again.

But even as they tried to stay in more or less the same spot, Corrin felt their movements growing sluggish. Owain didn’t seem any better off. They couldn’t stay like this forever.

Corrin’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of being pulled under again. Of Owain drowning right beside them, equally helpless.

“My dad,” they said. “The way he hit Severa… That wasn’t out of love.”

Owain’s face had shuttered.

They struggled in silence for a moment.

Then:

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Owain said. “He’s your father. Use your connection to talk to him. Or resist him. Or _something_.”

He sounded frustrated. Because he didn’t know nearly as much as he acted like he did? Because he was scared? Because he thought he could do better than Corrin if their positions were flipped? Corrin liked Owain well enough, but they’d never understood him. Not really.

Owain had come after them, though, and Corrin had to believe Owain had been acting out of selflessness, however frustrated or frightened he was now. Corrin could sympathize. 

“Why me?” they asked, feeling pathetic. They weren’t really asking Owain so much as the universe.

Owain gave them a look. “You’re the only one who can.”

 _“Corrin,”_ their father said. His voice was a bit weaker than they had expected.

The lake wasn’t just rough on the surface any longer; the water around their legs swirled with warning. Corrin felt themselves waver.

Owain must have felt it too. His hand brushed Corrin’s arm again. They were both squinting at each other in the darkness. Corrin’s fingers had gone numb from cold or fear.

“I’m right here, okay?” Owain said quickly. “Between your connection to this—entity and my expertise, we’re going to be fine.”

Belief was a powerful thing, Leo had said once. It felt like the sort of saying Owain could have also put his faith in.

Corrin needed to trust in belief too. They needed to trust _Owain_.

If they didn’t—what else was there?

Corrin scrubbed at their wet face with an equally wet hand. Forced themself to nod.

“We’re going to get through this,” they agreed with more conviction than they felt. “I—I can do this.”

“Exactly,” Owain said. “You—"

The rest of his words turned to bubbles as Corrin was pulled down into the depths.

* * *

When Corrin suddenly sank like they’d been swallowed by some beast, Owain didn’t waste time finishing his train of thought. Despite his better judgement, he dove down after them.

Even as he swam, however, he knew it was pointless. The water was so black it might as well have been an abyss, and he knew from experience how quickly the water could yank Corrin away from someone. He couldn’t have kept up, even if his body hadn’t been numb with adrenalin and cold.

Barely any time passed at all before he was forced to rise to the surface.

He came up alone, of course. Corrin had been well and truly taken.

Fuck. None of the dark adventure stories Owain had read or played or made up had ever prepared him for actually living one out. He wasn’t even sure he believed in half of what he’d told Corrin a moment ago. More than half of his speculation had come out of his imagination and also his ass.

He could only hope Corrin really could use their connection with their dear demonic father to their advantage. For their own sake, if not for everyone else’s as well.

Owain had always loved a tragedy, but he really, really didn’t want to live out this one.

He had a sinking feeling about things though. Vengeful spirits didn’t change their tune on a whim. Or at all.

Between the thick torrent of rain and churning water, Owain breathed. A white cloud ghosted the air in front of him. It was summer, and he could see his breath.

The temperature had been dropping steadily since the moment the rain had started. Maybe Corrin hadn’t noticed through their panic, but to Owain, the lake felt as though it were slowly filling with ice.

He could already see his breath. Maybe the lake would freeze over completely if things kept up.

How long until hypothermia set in? His limbs were beginning to burn with the chill and exhaustion. Owain couldn’t keep his head above water for much longer. If he didn’t leave now, he’d certainly drown, but he couldn’t imagine looking Leo in the eye and saying that he’d—

Something decidedly not human touched his shoulder.

* * *

It took everything not to struggle.

Corrin knew how pointless it was to fight the water by this point. They couldn’t win against a force much more powerful than themselves. That knowledge still didn’t stop the fear from welling up in their chest as they were wrenched away from Owain once more with no control over where they’d end up, however.

_“Corrin.”_

The ghostly voice whispering in their head did not help the panic either.

_“Corrin.”_

They were hauled through the water—not dragged this way or that as they had been before, but pulled straight _down_ , into the depths of the lake. It was all Corrin could do to pinch their nose shut and keep from totally losing it when their ears popped from the sudden pressure change.

Just as quickly as the dragging started, however, it stopped. Corrin’s stomach lurched at the abrupt halt.

They were no longer sinking, and yet when Corrin kicked, they didn’t feel themself rise either. They could feel some kind of force above them—some sort of intangible wall—that kept them from floating upwards. Corrin pushed against it helplessly. Another precious second without air slipped by, confirming their fears: they were stuck.

Unsure of what else to do and willing to risk it, they cracked their eyes open a tiny sliver, hoping to catch a glimpse of—something. They saw only darkness. A distinct heaviness had swallowed them. Corrin’s ears felt like they needed to pop a second time. Were they at the bottom of the lake?

_“Corrin.”_

Underwater, there was no longer any doubt as to who the voice belonged to. This wasn’t the voice of a demon disguising themselves as something they weren’t.

Owain had been right.

“ _My child. My baby. Corrin.”_

Something brushed against their cheek. Corrin nearly gasped. They instinctually flailed instead, panicking for a moment before they realized it was their own hair that had touched them. The combination of darkness and being underwater was disorienting at best.

They’d only caught a lucky half-breath before being dragged under, and now they couldn’t rise to the surface. Their chest already burned. It would only be a few more seconds before Corrin would be _forced_ to take a breath, out of fear or otherwise.

Was this really how it ended? Did—Did Corrin’s father _really_ intend to drown their only child out of—grief? Selfishness? Vengeance? What had made him this way?

After what had happened to Severa, Corrin shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet—How could this really be happening? What kind of father, what _human_ , could ever…

Corrin struggled against the invisible barrier above them, hoping and fighting for some way back up. They reached out. not just up, in hopes of finding anything that might help.

_“CorrinCorrinCorrinCorrinCorrin—"_

Amidst their frantic scrambling, their hand brushed something that wasn’t water or a slimy plant. With their father’s manic voice rattling around their skull and chest aching, Corrin instinctively took hold.

A light flashed in the darkness.

Corrin shut their eyes tight. They gripped something long and hard with one hand, smothering their mouth and nose with the other. 

Their ears popped again.

Corrin took a breath in surprise.

 _Stupid_ , they thought with despair, unable to stop themselves from taking yet another breath in anticipation and fear, as though they could somehow dispel the incoming water from their lungs if they simply tried hard enough.

Except they weren’t drowning.

Tentatively, they opened their eyes.

When they saw only white, Corrin took another page out of the book of bravery and pushed themselves to their knees. The ground—the blank canvas under, above, and surrounding them, was solid.

 _The ground_ , Corrin thought, startled.

They weren’t underwater anymore. They were… somewhere else.

There was a single splotch of color in the otherwise blank canvas of a room. Space. Wherever they were.

Corrin looked at it. Their shoulders dropped.

All the horror of the last few minutes suddenly ebbed from their mind like a distant dream. Their reality narrowed to a single point: the visage of a man Corrin had only seen in one or two photographs standing before them.

This was their _father_.

“A—Anankos?” Corrin said in a shaky voice. Even the dead would have to recognize their own name, right?

The man standing in front of them didn’t move. He wore a wild, starstruck expression that seemed at odds with the glazed film covering his eyes. 

“Corrin,” their father said.

That voice. It was the same voice they’d been hearing all along. There was no doubt about who this man was.

A dim part of Corrin registered the fact that they would have drowned by now had they still been underwater. Maybe they had. They had no idea how they’d arrived here or where _here_ was. Maybe Corrin had drowned and just hadn’t realized it yet. Maybe this was purgatory.

“Am I dead?” they asked.

Anankos shook his head as if dazed. “No.”

Corrin frowned. It almost sounded like he was muttering to himself rather than answering. If they had died, then drowning had been surprisingly painless. But if they weren’t dead, then where were they?

They pushed themselves to unsteady feet, unable to take their eyes off the man standing before them.

Every day over the past few years, ever since Mikoto had explained the truth behind their lineage and how Corrin had ended up being taken from one family to another, they had thought about this moment. They had gotten all the answers regarding their past that they could from Garon, Sumeragi, and Mikoto. Anankos was the only one left.

They had searched for their father, for answers. For _this_. And now they were at a loss about what to say.

“I…” No, that wasn’t right. “What—What happened to…”

 _To me_ , Corrin might have said. But they wanted to know if Severa and the others were alright up top just as badly, just as much as they wanted to know what had happened to Anankos in the first place that had caused him to turn into—whatever he was now.

Corrin couldn’t finish asking. Anankos’s features twisted at the question anyway.

“I will _show_ you what happened,” he said, something inhuman slipping back into his voice.

The white world began to warp around them. The space under their feet turned dark and wooden; an out of date bedspread suddenly appeared on a bed that had come out of nowhere. A window popped into existence, framing a blurry image of distant buildings and dark water outside.

Corrin immediately knew where they were. The paint had been refreshed at some point and details like the bedspread and lamps had been swapped out over the years, but Corrin recognized the layout of the cabins surrounding the lake.

Not Corrin’s cabin specifically, of course. Nor Xander’s or Leo’s. But _a_ cabin somewhere close by.

The faint scent of rain lingered in the air.

Between one blink and the next, two figures appeared on the bed—one figure being a younger version of Mikoto and the other being Anankos, who appeared not younger but happier.

More aware of himself, it seemed. Present.

They were both lounging under the sheets, Mikoto’s long, dark hair spread out across the pillows. Anankos was lounging next to her, head propped up in his hand. They were frozen, like two statues that had been hyper-realistically carved from marble and posed like any young couple would be.

Corrin stared, drinking in every detail. The dimple on their mother’s cheek. The vibrance of Anankos’s eyes. The way they looked at each other with such love. Corrin hadn’t ever seen a picture of their parents together like this before.

Then, as though somebody had hit the play button on a remote, Anankos shot up like he’d been electrocuted.

“What?” He sounded breathless. “You’re _what_?”

Mikoto, who startlingly looked all of about Corrin’s age, giggled. Her arm slid down her side, palm resting on her stomach.

“I’m pregnant,” Mikoto said gently—apparently for the second time. When Anankos failed to speak, she sat up a little, looking more curious than nervous. “Honey?”

“Oh my god,” Anankos said.

Mikoto laughed again, seemingly unconcerned. “You have to use your words.”

Anankos— _their father_ , Corrin thought, because he wasn’t a nameless monster, he was a real human person with a life and a name and—and he’d been _here_ , he was their _dad_ —

Corrin’s father looked at Mikoto with stars in his eyes. He was completely awestruck.

Corrin couldn’t tear their eyes away.

“You’re pregnant.” Anankos couldn’t seem to process the information. “You’re _pregnant_?”

“I’m pregnant,” Mikoto said.

A beat passed.

Anankos threw the covers off the bed in a flash. Corrin yelped loudly out of embarrassment and turned their head away.

To their incredible relief, nobody was naked under the sheets. Despite the distant heat of a dying summer that permeated the air, Mikoto was wearing a modest nightgown, and Anankos had worn an equally modest pair of shorts to bed.

 _Thank the gods,_ Corrin thought.

Distracted by their relief, Corrin almost missed the gentle way Anankos laid his hand over Mikoto’s on her stomach.

“Holy shit,” he said. “You’re going to have a _baby_!”

“ _Our_ baby,” Mikoto said, smiling.

_“Our baby!”_

Mikoto laughed a third time as Anankos began to smother her with kisses—chaste, exited things he trailed down from her neck to her waist. She squirmed under him, ticklish or euphoric or both. When he reached her stomach, he stopped abruptly and flopped down, ear pressed against the belly of her gown. He frowned.

“I don’t hear anything,” he said seriously.

Mikoto blinked. “Well, no, of course not. There’s no way I’m more than a few weeks along. _I_ won’t even be able to feel anything for…”

Anankos’s face broke into a grin, and she seemed to realize he was joking. She slapped his shoulder and giggled. Anankos buried his face into her stomach and kissed the fabric there as well.

They were _young_ , Corrin realized. Mikoto had explained to them before about how young they’d been when Mikoto had gotten pregnant. But seeing their youthful faces up close, seeing the way they could have passed for any twenty-something stranger Corrin passed on the street, was different than simply _knowing._

Abruptly, Anankos froze.

“Oh my god,” he said, wide-eyed. “We need to get married, like, right now.”

He leapt up and nearly slipped off the edge of the bed in his scramble to stand. Mikoto quickly pulled him back.

“Honey, honey,” Mikoto said, grabbing Anankos by the cheeks and turning his face towards hers as he weakly struggled in her grasp. “Where are you going? It’s late.”

“No, no, I bet some place is open,” Anankos said. He kept glancing at her stomach anxiously. “Someplace I can buy you a ring or—Maybe there’s a priest in town or something?”

“Honey, I don’t need a ring right now.”

“You do!” Anankos argued. “I know what you said about, about wedding expenses and promise rings, but no more! You deserve a real ring! And a house! And a ceremony! And—”

Mikoto kissed his cheek. “One thing at a time.”

Anankos went limp at the kiss, and they both fell back onto the bed in a heap. Mikoto slid an arm around his chest. They curled around one another on the mattress, ignoring the way the sheets were now more or less piled on the floor.

Corrin’s heart lurched.

Anankos buried his nose in Mikoto’s hair and breathed in. In a soft voice, he said, “You can laugh at me all you want, but… I just want you to have the best things. You deserve them.”

“I already have the best things,” Mikoto said kindly, carding her fingers through Anankos’s hair. Corrin absently touched their own hair as they watched. “It doesn’t get any better than you and I.”

“ _Better_ things,” Anankos said. “I don’t want our baby to grow up with—with a roof that leaks or a car that can’t take them to daycare on time or…”

“We have plenty of time to prepare for all that.”

Anankos lifted his head up, looking anxious. “How much time, exactly?”

“About nine months,” Mikoto said. “I’m not that far along.”

“Oh, wow,” Anankos said. “That’s…”

“Usually how long it takes for a baby to be born, yes.”

“That’s so _long_.” Anankos frowned. “But, also, that’s not nearly enough time at _all_. We need to, to buy a crib, diapers—We need to move to a nice school zone! We—”

“One thing at a time,” Mikoto said again, a little firmer. She tilted her head and kissed his chin. “School zones are a few years off still.”

Anankos thought for a moment. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to come to the courthouse with me? We can do the ceremony later, I promise.”

“It’s after five,” Mikoto reminded him.

“Then tomorrow—”

“Is Saturday,” she said.

Anankos deflated. Mikoto rolled onto her side and snuggled deeper into his arms. He held her close.

“Let’s just enjoy our time together for now, alright?” she said. “We can deal with the details when we get home.”

“Of course,” he said. “Anything you want.”

Mikoto’s mouth moved but no sound came out. Without warning, the cabin began to fade away, as did Corrin’s parents. The hallucination—the memory—was ending.

The sudden warping of the scenery jolted Corrin back into themselves. They sniffed and swiped at the tears that had welled up in their eyes as they had watched the scene unfold, barely having noticed them until then. Their heart ached so badly.

“You loved us,” Corrin said, although there was nobody there to hear them. “You really, really loved us.”

No answer.

Corrin’s breath hitched. They wiped their nose on their sleeve and tried to hold it together.

This was the life their parents had led. Could have continued to lead, if things had gone differently.

If the story Mikoto had told was accurate, that had been the night before Anankos’s disappearance—the night before his apparent death.

He had wanted so badly to marry her, Corrin thought. He had wanted a family so much. He’d wanted _Corrin_.

What had gone wrong?

“What happens next?” Corrin asked when their crying had slowed. The room had yet to settle again, and they couldn’t see their father—the memory or the ghost—in the hazy swirl of colors that made up the surrounding space. They only had to hope he could somehow hear them. “I need to see what happened to you. What happened after.”

There was no audible response, but the kaleidoscope colors began to swirl with intent.

The space under Corrin’s feet turned dark blue and settled; the newly formed sky above became tinged with dawn’s early light. Green and brown dotted the shoreline—cabins and more distant trees.

Finally, the world settled.

Corrin stood there for a moment, unsure what they were waiting for. When they looked down, all they saw was the opaque surface of the lake. No visible platform prevented Corrin from falling into the water, and yet when they shifted their weight, the lake did not so much as ripple. They couldn’t even see their own reflection. It was like standing on a mirror that reflected nothing back.

Had the lake always been so dark? Corrin didn’t know if the colors were because of the bias of Anankos’s memory or if they had simply never paid that much attention before.

It was a calm morning. The shoreline was empty of life.

They waited a moment longer. Still nothing happened. “Are you th—”

“I swam every morning,” Anankos said.

Corrin whirled.

Their father—the real, dead one and not the memory—stood next to them on the water. Somehow Anankos had snuck up beside them without their noticing. He didn’t seem to register Corrin’s startlement or even the fact Corrin was there at all. His eyes, glazed over still, were focused on some far-off point.

He looked somehow different than the young man in the last memory. Less alive, perhaps. Whenever Corrin looked anywhere other than his face, they felt dizzy.

“I loved swimming,” he said aloud, although not necessarily _to_ Corrin. “There were no lakes in the city. No public pools. Not nearby. I couldn’t swim there. Not unless I took the bus across town to the city center. That took an hour. Mornings were the best time to swim. I remember I couldn’t take the bus there and also get to work on time.” He paused. “I remember.”

“Hello?” Corrin said. “Can you hear me?”

“It was so quiet in the mornings here,” Anankos said without looking at them. “So quiet. Nobody ever woke up early in the mornings. Not like I did. It was always so quiet.”

It was like he was speaking a stream of consciousness, Corrin thought.

They listened and waited.

“We scrimped and saved so we could afford to come here every now and again. The owner liked us. That was the only reason why we could come. They liked us. We didn’t come during the tourist season. Too busy for discounts then. I helped one of the employees change a tire in the rain once. She ended up being the manager’s daughter. So they liked us. So we could come, sometimes, because of luck and kindness. I remember.”

He did not say anything more for a long minute. Corrin rolled their lower lip between their teeth.

“You remember right,” they said gently, hoping he could hear them somehow. “But do you remember what happened after that? After…” They mentally debated on what to say and couldn’t find a good answer. “She was pregnant.”

Anankos did not visibly react. For a moment Corrin thought he still couldn’t hear them.

Then he said, “It was quiet in the mornings. I remember. We liked it here. We could only come sometimes. I remember.”

Corrin opened their mouth to push him along but stopped at the last second, thinking better of it. The muscles around Anankos’s flat mouth twitched.

“I remember. I…”

A shadow washed over their his face. The distant look in his eyes sharpened into something darker. Something Corrin felt uneasy looking at.

They took a nervous step back.

“She was pregnant,” Anankos said. “I was ecstatic. Euphoric.” He still wasn’t looking at them. “I went for a swim the next morning. I always swam in the mornings.”

Movement caught the corner of their eye. Corrin turned and saw the memory of their father—the happier, more physically solid man—gliding his way through the water with ease. He swam with clear experience.

Corrin and the ghost stood in the middle of the lake and it had likely taken the memory of Anankos a few minutes to swim out so far, but he looked no less energetic for it.

“I was so happy that day,” the ghostly—although more human looking than a demon who had attacked their friends should have been, Corrin thought—version of Anankos said, still standing next to Corrin. “Mikoto was pregnant. We would be married soon. We would have a family. I couldn’t have been happier.”

Despite the words, he didn’t sound happy. His voice had taken on a low, menacing quality.

Corrin watched the memory of Anankos pass by, nerves coiling in their belly.

He only made it a few feet further before coming to an abrupt stop. The memory of Anankos straightened in the water, suddenly beginning to cough for no apparent reason. His coughing was so loud it echoed in Corrin’s ears.

The ghostly Anankos didn’t say anything. Corrin glanced his way a bit anxiously before deciding to circle around the memory of Anankos to get a better look at his face. He was still coughing. Corrin’s chest constricted.

They had asked to see what had happened after Mikoto’s announcement. Corrin knew this was the day Anankos had gone missing. Were they about to watch their father die?

They couldn’t stop themselves from crouching by the memory of Anankos and watching him anxiously. A weightiness took hold of their limbs, so heavy it was a miracle they didn’t fall straight through the water and down to the bottom of the lake.

Corrin knew what was going to happen next. They didn’t want to watch. At the same time, they couldn’t allow themselves to look away.

The Anankos in the water continued to cough. He looked a little bewildered. Perhaps a little uncomfortable. But not _dead_. Yet.

Corrin anxiously waited for the heart attack to take hold for real. For the brunt of the stroke to hit him like a club to the head. They waited for whatever invisible trigger to be pulled and for their father to _die_ before their very eyes.

There was a very good chance they were going to be sick.

They didn’t blink.

“I swallowed some water.”

The voice was right in their ear. Corrin gasped and jumped to their feet, jerking away.

The ghostly Anankos had teleported over their shoulder when they weren’t looking. Once again, he didn’t react to Corrin’s outburst. Finally, however, his eyes were focused on something other than empty space.

He stared at the memory of himself in the water. The memory version of Anankos had scrunched his face up in pain, although his coughs had finally begun to slow.

The ghost’s face was unreadable.

“It was just a little water,” he said, again speaking without seeming to care if anyone was listening. “A mouthful, maybe. It was nothing. And yet it hurt more than it should have. It made my chest ache.”

As if listening, the other Anankos slapped his own chest. He coughed weakly, grimacing, and floated in the water.

“I was overeager,” said the ghostly Anankos. “I had swum the length of the lake before, although of course it had left me tired. I was so sure I could do it again. I wasn’t thinking. I was too excited to pay attention to where I was going. I…”

In the water, the second Anankos slowly swam a few feet towards the shore and then stopped. Corrin tentatively stepped closer again, eyeing both versions of their father. The ghostly Anankos did not move; the Anankos in the water looked, somehow, a little weaker than he had the night before. He was definitely paler.

“I was so stupid,” the ghostly Anankos said. “So oblivious.”

 _This is it_ , Corrin thought. When the brain aneurism struck. The blood clot. The death sentence.

They steeled themselves.

“I did not realize until after just how cursed this place truly is.”

It was such a strange sentence that Corrin turned without thinking about it. “What do you mean—"

They drew up short as they saw the pure _disgust_ radiating from their father’s face. Even Garon, on his worst days, hadn’t ever looked quite so revolted and enraged. Corrin stared in shock.

“Ignorant,” Anankos growled. “Stupid. I hadn’t known. _It wasn’t my fault.”_

It hadn’t been his fault, and yet he was stupid for not realizing—what? Corrin glanced between the two versions of their father anxiously. The one in the water had rolled onto his back, floating with his face aimed at the sky. Chest rising and falling. Not dead yet.

“I thought the lethargy would pass,” Anankos said bitterly. “It came on so suddenly. I decided to wait, to gather my strength for the swim to shore. But it didn’t recede.”

Corrin scanned the shore frantically, although they knew it was a doomed effort. This was a memory, something that had already happened. They couldn’t do anything here. They knew how the story played out.

As expected, there was nobody around. Not many of the cabins looked occupied, and of the ones that were, it was too early for vacationers to be out and about.

“I grew weaker, and it became harder to stay afloat.”

Time began to speed up as though someone had hit the fast-forward button on a remote. Corrin watched in awe as the ripples the memory of Anankos made on the water came and vanished quicker than a heartbeat. The day brightened. The sun began to rise faster, cresting the horizon.

Then it stopped.

Corrin looked to the ghostly version Anankos for answer.

“There was something about that damned water that had always left me exhausted after a swim,” he said, gaining energy. “Like a fool, I had always chalked it up to getting a better workout here than anywhere else. In the city, I had to share any pools I found with other people. I couldn’t swim as long or as much as I wanted. Here, I always had the whole of the lake to myself.”

The still living Anankos had sunk a little lower in the water, like a balloon that had been partially deflated. His face, though pained, had also gone somewhat slack. Corrin looked between them and the shore rapidly. The implication of his words had begun to sink in.

No. There was no way it had happened like this.

“What are you saying?” Corrin asked. They knew they’d be ignored, but they couldn’t just silently watch their father _give up on life_. “Are you telling me you—you got tired and drowned?”

Silence was their answer.

A sudden burst of anger clawed its way through Corrin’s chest.

“No!” they shouted. “No, there’s land right there! We can _see_ it. You could have made it! You could have—"

“I could not have done anything,” Anankos said. Corrin wasn’t sure if he was responding to them or if he was just talking to himself still. “That damned water had drained the life from me before I had taken my last breath.”

“No!” Corrin cried, their cheeks hot—though whether from anger or fresh tears, they couldn’t tell. “You couldn’t have just been _tired_! That’s so—” _Anticlimactic_ was too sour a word, but Corrin couldn’t think of another one. “You must have hit your head or had a sickness you didn’t know about or…” They shook their head. “You didn’t just _let yourself_ drown!”

“I did not _let myself_ do anything!” Anankos roared. It was the first time he had acknowledged their presence directly, and the intensity of his glare took Corrin off guard. “You’ve felt it. I _know_ you’ve felt it. When I was weak and I mistakenly grabbed that boy instead of you, you swallowed that water the same as me, and you felt the _exhaustion_. The _fatigue_. At another time, you would have drowned the same as me too.”

No. There was no way.

_When I was weak and I mistakenly grabbed that boy instead of you—_

They remembered that afternoon in the water. How tired they’d felt after playing tag, and how that exhaustion had doubled after dragging Inigo up to the surface. They remembered their chest aching during the swim back to shore. It had taken palpable effort to stay awake the rest of the day.

Corrin had chalked it all up to adrenalin and the fear of watching someone they cared about almost die in front of them. Could the water itself have—done what? Drained the energy from their body as Anankos was suggesting? Part of them wanted to doubt it, but Corrin had seen a lot of impossible things today. As dumb as it sounded, maybe evil water was one of them.

Maybe, if Elise hadn’t been there that afternoon, Corrin could have been in real trouble.

Even so, Corrin couldn’t imagine just _giving up_.

“The only difference between you and I,” Anankos growled, “is that you had a _toy_ to keep you afloat. We are not all so lucky.”

 _No,_ Corrin wanted to say. _It wasn’t just the toy. I had Elise and Inigo and everyone else on the shore. I couldn’t_ let _myself drown. That wasn’t an option._

They couldn’t find the courage to say those things, but the truth of it hit them like a sledgehammer. Even if the lake was cursed or evil or whatever, Corrin wouldn’t have just _drowned_. They would have _fought_ to live. Corrin had people to live for, so they would have. It was that simple.

Anankos had Mikoto and Corrin. A spouse on all but paper and a child soon to come. That was plenty to fight for. So why hadn’t he mustered up the energy to swim to shore? Why hadn’t he at least _tried_?

It was hard to swallow the accusations. Under the force of Anankos’s glare, Corrin managed.

Maybe he wasn’t a demon, but with the anger painted so clearly on his face, it was easier to remember just how dangerous Anankos really was, father or not.

Since making him angrier seemed a bad idea, Corrin switched tactics.

“If you had the ability to grab Inigo that day,” they said slowly, “why didn’t you take me then? I’ve been here for _days_. Why did you wait so long?”

_Why did you have to hurt my friends first?_

“I was only somewhat aware of your presence at the start,” Anankos said, sounding slightly less agitated as his focus shifted. “I had been accumulating energy for years, but I did not know how to use it properly. Even after you arrived, it took time to… wake up, I should say. I was not fully myself. Not until you almost slipped through my fingers again.”

So grabbing Inigo instead of Corrin really had been a genuine mistake then. If that was the case, why attack Severa? Because she’d been trying to take Corrin away? Did Anankos only see their friends as obstacles?

Before Corrin could ask about any of that, Anankos turned away.

“You said you needed to see what happened to me,” he said. “So watch.”

Not wanting to push their luck, Corrin reluctantly looked back to the memory of Anankos.

He had disappeared.

Corrin blinked and looked around, wondering how he had managed to swim away without their notice. Then, with horror, it hit them.

The memory of Anankos had slipped silently slipped under the water while they’d been talking.

He’d vanished silently, without a single call for help. Gone without a single soul looking out for him, even though Corrin should have known better.

“No!” they said. They fell to their knees in the spot where Anankos had been and pushed against the surface of the lake to no avail. Their hands couldn’t phase through whatever barrier had been erected between Corrin and the rest of the memory world. “No, I—It shouldn’t have happened like this!”

Unfortunately—or perhaps for the better—the water was too dark and cloudy for Corrin to watch their father’s body sink into the depths.

They hung their head.

“No,” Anankos said darkly. “It shouldn’t have.”

Time sped up again.

The sun spanned the sky and set again in a handful of seconds. Silhouettes of people walked from their cabins to their cars and back again. Corrin couldn’t tell which of them, if any, were Mikoto. Although a few people might have dipped their feet in the water for a second—or what felt like merely a second to Corrin—everyone largely stuck close to shore; no one came anywhere close to the spot where Anankos had sunk.

Corrin sat on their knees and watched the time pass, horrified. As the daylight faded, so did the people. Night came.

Their father had just. Drowned.

There was nothing else to it.

He had drowned, and nobody had noticed. He hadn’t even struggled.

Corrin felt sick.

Police arrived on the second day. Red and blue flashing lights glinted silently on the distant shore, centered around one cabin in particular. When the sun reached its zenith, only one car remained.

Divers came. Corrin could just barely recognize the divers in the distance from the clunky shape of their oxygen tanks. They sank into the water—to search, Corrin realized. Eventually they came up again.

The sun set. Everyone left.

The third day came and went just as quickly. Police vehicles returned, although there were fewer this time. The divers came again as well. They came up several times, each time apparently empty handed. With the water being as dark as it was, Corrin had no idea if they ever came close to searching the right spot.

Corrin scanned the shores for Mikoto and were never sure who they were looking at. Night greeted them and said goodbye in the same instant.

Nobody new arrived the fourth day. A figure that might have been Mikoto sat on the dock for a while, but eventually they left as well. Every inch of Corrin’s skin felt ready to burst with feeling.

Time was speeding up, faster and faster. Day and night passed in a flash of light. It took the complete absence of leaves on the surrounding trees and a thin blanket of snow suddenly appearing for Corrin to realize winter had arrived. They hadn’t even registered the passing of autumn.

Two seasons, and not a single sign of Anankos—of his body. No evidence of what had happened to him. No explanation.

Life moved on.

Corrin knew this story. They knew it well. And yet the reality of it gnawed at their heart with sour teeth.

“I—I don’t understand.” Corrin somehow mustered the energy to speak. They blinked wearily as time continued to move around them, snow melting and falling as spring came and went and came again. “They only searched for—for, what, two days? Why didn’t they look for longer? Why weren’t you found? Why couldn’t anyone…”

Anankos’s bitter voice was in their ear again before they realized he’d moved. This time, they didn’t flinch.

“A man of no means and no future learns that a woman to whom he is not legally bound has become pregnant with his child. That same man goes ‘missing’ the next day.” His face was stone. “Everyone thinks they have it all figured out. They barely bothered to search.”

For a moment, the unfairness of it all burned Corrin up inside like an inferno.

Then they squeezed their eyes shut. _No_ , they thought forcefully. That wasn’t true.

 _Mikoto_ had looked. Mikoto had never doubted the fact Anankos wouldn’t have left of his own volition; she’d told the police the same thing. She had waited for so long too, even after she’d been forced to return to her and Anankos’s empty apartment to do so. She’d told Corrin everything. Anankos had never left her heart.

Mikoto had spoken about others too. About the nice detectives who called her every now and again with apologies. Those detectives, Yukimura and Reina, had kept up with Mikoto even after the official search had ended. Mikoto still sent them holiday cards to this day. There was Sumeragi too, who had conducted his own search after meeting Mikoto as well. And there had been others, like the sympathetic woman who owned the lake, who had given Mikoto a shoulder to cry on right after the incident.

People _had_ cared. Even if—

“They gave up within days, hours, if they ever made an effort at all,” Anankos sneered. “And I was left here to _rot_.”

With an unsteady voice, Corrin said, “You—Your body should have floated back up, eventually, when you…”

“Weren’t you _listening_?” Anankos said with a sharp voice. “Haven’t you been paying attention? This water is _cursed_. This land is _vile_!” The longer he spoke, the more distorted his voice became. Corrin averted their gaze, pressing their lips together firmly. “This lake sucks the life out of you, and if it gets you, _it keeps you._ When I sank into the water, it laid claim to me, and now it is within me and I am within it! _We are the snake eating its own tail! We are—"_

The water rushed in all at once.

* * *

Corrin choked, unprepared. Water invaded their nose and lungs, burning every inch of the way. The world had gone dark again, the memory landscape gone in an instant. There was only the dark and the wet. They were _drowning._

They thrashed in the water. Corrin couldn’t _breathe_.

Their chest seized.

It _hurt_.

It—

—was over as soon as it began.

Corrin hit the wet earth with a thud that simultaneously raddled their teeth and knocked the water right out of their lungs.

Mud and gritty silt squelched under their hands and knees as they gagged, coughing up what felt like the entirety of the lake. Their chest was on fire.

A millennia passed before they caught even half their breath. Corrin could have easily passed out right then and there, and yet, somehow, they managed to stay conscious, albeit not upright.

They could have only been drowning for a split second, and yet it had felt like a lifetime.

Had it felt like that for Anankos when he’d died?

Corrin didn’t realize they were crying again until their final gag turned into a sob. It was just too much.

They didn’t bother to wipe away the tears that rolled down their cheeks this time. They were already soaked. 

It took a long time before they managed to pull themselves together again. By the time the tears stopped flowing, they felt more wrung out than an old kitchen towel. Their head felt much clearer, however.

So clear, in fact, that Corrin realized a fuzziness that had been permeating their head for the last few minutes had disappeared.

They dug their fingers into the soaked earth and spat out a lock of wet hair. Whatever had been happening before—whether Corrin had been hallucinating or if they’d truly been somewhere else for a while—it was over. _This_ was reality.

Corrin peaked between their eyelashes, somewhat fearful of what they would find. At first, they only saw dark, soaked earth. That wasn’t immediately worrying. The world was quiet now that their cries had calmed as well—perhaps eerily so.

They tentatively flexed their fingers and were startled to feel something solid in their grasp. Corrin vaguely recalled grabbing hold of something just before the flashbacks had started. They almost didn’t want to know what it had been.

Slowly, they lifted their head.

Caught between their fingers, they saw, was a bony arm.

Attached to said arm was the rest of the skeleton.

They instantly let the arm drop and shoved themselves back. They ended up scrambling only a few feet, flipping onto their ass in the mud, before they registered the rest of the world around them.

Corrin hadn’t been teleported out of the lake at the last moment to keep them from drowning. This wasn’t a forest or one of the cabins. They were still in the lake.

They were _under_ the lake.

Only a few feet of fresh mud—the lake floor, Corrin now realized—spanned the length of the domed air bubble in any given direction. Water swirled against some invisible barrier at the edge of the bubble, somehow unable to breech whatever force that was keeping the weight of the lake at bay.

The dome reminded Corrin of one of those “underwater pathways” that aquariums sometimes liked to build—the kind of walkways designed to tunnel through the aquarium’s tanks so visitors could be surrounded by fish and coral on all sides.

No matter how they stared, however, they couldn’t see through this water the way they could at the aquarium. The water was too dingy, and it swirled in confusing patterns around the invisible dome.

If there were any fish on the other side, Corrin hoped they had swum far, far away by that point.

In the center of the dome, just beyond Corrin’s feet, lay the suspiciously clean-picked skeleton of their father. The skeleton was so clean, in fact, that when Corrin stared for long enough, the bones began to look less real. More cartoonish. Although that might have just been Corrin’s hysteria talking.

Above the skeleton floated a ghost.

He was a little hard to see clearly, but it was definitely a ghost.

Corrin nearly scrubbed their fists against their eyes only to pause at the last second when they noticed all the mud on their hands. They blinked hard instead, but Anankos’s imagine did not become any clearer.

Memory Anankos had been solid and lively. The ghostly Anankos within that memory had been hard to look at but still somewhat palpable.

This Anankos, the one floating above his skeleton in the real world, was the most degraded of the three. He was clearly _dead_ now. Translucent. Hard to see in detail. He was _ghostly_ in a way he hadn’t appeared before, even when Corrin had mentally been referring to him as a ghost in their head.

It was a lot to take in at once.

“Holy shit,” Corrin wheezed.

Then they remembered the rather frightening rant Anankos had been going on before they’d begun to drown. They tensed.

He didn’t resume his rant, however. He was just… looking at Corrin, it seemed. It was a little hard to tell where he was looking without pupils, but Corrin was pretty sure they could feel the weight of his eyes every time they so much as twitched.

They tentatively looked around.

The dome was clearly Anankos’s doing, so he obviously knew Corrin needed air to live. He had also attacked Corrin’s family and friends. Those were pretty conflicting messages.

Anankos probably planned on killing Corrin too. The dome could collapse at any moment, and there would be no do-overs this time. Corrin wouldn’t have a chance of escape.

Accusing Anankos of giving in to his death obviously hadn’t been well received before, they considered. Part of Corrin still felt torn about that, still unable to accept that their father hadn’t fought for his life like Corrin had tried to do every time their life was in danger so far.

The other part of Corrin was more focused on the familiar heaviness that had sunk into their bones—the same heaviness they had felt after rescuing Inigo. The ache in their chest and throat from choking on lake water had gone distant, even numb, within the last few seconds. It took effort to stay upright, although Corrin was already sitting.

They were forced to admit that the lake sucking energy out of people was probably a real problem at this point.

Unlike Anankos, however, Corrin was still trying to think of a way to escape. They looked at the ceiling of the dome and wondered if they’d have enough energy to swim to the surface, assuming they could get past whatever barrier Anankos had set up for them before. It was doubtful.

Whatever they did next, they needed to choose their actions very carefully.

Corrin briefly considered pleading for their life, as well as the lives of their friends and family up above. They didn’t think that would be very effective, however.

Besides, they still had questions they needed to answer before this confrontation, however it ended, was over.

Anankos hadn’t done anything but stare over the last few minutes while Corrin had been thinking. It was a little creepy.

“You…” Corrin tried to word themselves carefully, like Leo would have. It was hard. “What happened to you?”

The water outside the dome began to swirl faster.

 _“You saw,”_ Anankos said. Even his voice was more ghastly now, echoing in Corrin’s head once more. _“You know.”_

“I saw,” Corrin agreed. “But what happened after that? If this lake is really as evil as you say, then you can’t have been the only one to die here. But I don’t see any other—”

Demons? No, Corrin knew better now.

“—spirits.”

A beat passed before Anankos answered. Because he had to gather his strength? Corrin wondered.

 _“I am the only one who_ remained.” Anankos’s empty eyes blazed. His outline flickered. _“The only one with the_ strength _. The only one unsatisfied with the idea of quietly slipping into oblivion.”_

The dome looked a little smaller than it had before. Some invisible clock was ticking.

“So you chose to stay? But I thought you said the lake was keeping you?”

They regretted their words almost immediately.

 _“Do you not see me?”_ The phantom visage of Anankos flickered with anger. _“My remains lay before you, unclaimed! I am_ here _when I should be above! When I should be alive! When I should have lived!”_

“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

But Corrin had triggered something that didn’t want to be stopped.

“ _Why did I have to die? Why was I the one taken? Why was I left to suffer with the threat of oblivion? Why? Why? Whywhywhywhywhy—"_

The edges of the dome rippled threateningly.

“You’re right!” Corrin cried. “You should have lived! It wasn’t right that you died! It was unfair! I understand!”

An inhuman growl echoed in their head.

 _“You do_ not _understand. How could you? You have been above—alive—while I have been below.”_ Despite his words, Anankos’s image slowly began to settle, flickering less. _“But_ I _understand. That wasn’t your fault either. And now you’re here, with me.”_

His demeanor had shifted abruptly. He was calm again.

_“Now we are together at last.”_

He had gone from raving to normal within second. Corrin struggled to keep up.

When Anankos raged, his spectral body was hard to see. As soon as he’d calmed down, however, he’d stopped flickering. He’d solidified, like the rage made it harder to stay on a physical plane.

The flickering was dangerous. The flickering meant the dome keeping Corrin alive could collapse. Keeping Anankos calm, keeping from triggering his mania and despair—that was the key.

In truth, Corrin had no idea what they were doing. The emotional center of Corrin’s brain was in tatters. Whatever remained of the “logical” side of their mind—assuming logic existed in a world where ghosts were real and some could even be your long-lost birth father—was screaming _Get us out of here!_ Corrin had no clue what the right next move was. But they’d make it or die trying.

Which was a very real possibility at this point.

“That’s right, we’re together,” Corrin said quickly, placatingly, after they realized they’d been quiet for too long. “You stayed here all this time, waiting for me, and I—I was looking for you too. I’m so glad I found you.”

Anankos didn’t say anything, but they somehow got the impression Anankos was pleased, so they kept going.

“And you were the only one who stayed, yeah. The only one with the _strength_ to stay.” At least, he’d implied there’d been others. Corrin was trying to understand. “Can I ask what you did all this time? While you were waiting?”

 _“I became_ stronger _,”_ Anankos answered readily. _“I waited and bided my time, gathering power. It was difficult, at first. I was not always very… aware.”_ For a moment, he sounded almost human. _“I… Sometimes I lost myself in my unhappiness. My regret.”_

It was a startlingly self-aware statement.

 _“It will be hard for you too, at first, perhaps,”_ he said. _“But I will be here to guide you.”_

“And I… appreciate that,” Corrin said carefully. “I know you would have been there for me in the past if you could have, and… I appreciate the fact you’re here for me now.”

If he registered their hesitance, it didn’t show. Anankos flickered again, albeit less angrily this time. Corrin didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

_“Yes. I am here for you. We will always be here for each other from now on. We won’t ever be separated. Corrin. My child. My baby. My world. My, mine, mineminemine—”_

The edges of the dome began to ripple as Anankos began to devolve again. Corrin tensed.

“I looked for you for so long!” They hoped Anankos could hear them over his chanting. “I’m just as happy as you are! There are so many things I want to talk to you about and tell you! But, you know, at the same time—”

Anankos went quiet, probably sensing that Corrin was about to say something he wasn’t going to like. The edges of the dome looked no less steady. They hadn’t collapsed yet, however.

Corrin swallowed. It was now or never.

“Your life was cut short unfairly, and you have suffered because of that.” That was a good start, right? “I’m about the same age you were when you… And I still have a lot of life I might live before—coming back to you.” Corrin winced. They had no idea if mentioning death directly would set him off again, so they awkwardly tried not to say it outright. “You didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to anyone before you went, and, you know, I was just thinking it would be better if I got the opportunity to—”

 _“No,”_ Anankos said firmly. _“I may have been foolish and young then, but I lost a spouse. A child. You have none of those things. Your losses are negligible in comparison. They will not even hurt before long. If you go back now, you will only experience more pain later. This way is less painful. You belong here now. With your family.”_

“What about mom?” Corrin tried, panic rising in their chest. “She’s still alive too!”

 _“She had her time with you! Twenty years worth! Now it’s_ my _turn!”_

Corrin felt like they’d been slapped. How could this be the same man who had been so devoted to Mikoto in her stories? In his own memory?

Perhaps Anankos didn’t like the look on Corrin’s face or maybe he still had a more sympathetic side within him somewhere. Either way, Anankos’s visible anger began to recede a little.

 _“Your mother will understand soon enough,”_ Anankos said, lowering himself closer to Corrin. _“When you go missing like I did, she will come. And then you, your mother, and I will be together forever. Like we should have been all along.”_

“That—sounds wonderful,” Corrin said, digging their fingers into the mud. “I’ve had dreams about that kind of life with you and Mom.” Then, before Anankos could get the wrong idea: “But there comes a time in every parent’s life where you have to let your child leave the nest and—”

 _“How **dare** you?”_ Anankos began to _vibrate_ in the air, and Corrin’s heart sank as they realized how severely they’d mis-stepped. A drop of water splashed onto their cheek from above. _“How dare you try to tell me what a parent should do when you are still a child yourself? You arrogant—”_

“I’ll come back!” Corrin shouted. “When I’m old and at the end of my life, I’ll come back! Then we can all be together, I promise!”

 _“Lies!”_ Anankos roared, and water began to stream in from the top of the dome through cracks in the invisible glass. _“You won’t return! You’ll grow old and forget me, just like they all did! Just like Mikoto!”_

“That’s not true! She never forgot you!” Corrin thrust their wrist into the air. “Look, I made this bracelet so—”

_“You are **my** child, and you will listen to **me**.”_

Water began to pour in from all sides, the barrier all but collapsing entirely. Corrin was too exhausted to stand. It was up to their shoulders in seconds.

“Wait!”

 _“I’m sorry it had to be this way_ ,” Anankos said. _“But sometimes children need discipline. One day you will understand—”_

Water lapped at their chin.

“Dad, stop!”

They went under.

Corrin struggled to stand. They pushed against the lake floor with all their might, to no avail. Something kept them glued to the lake floor even when they should have been floating.

This was it. They were finished.

The memory of their father, giving up without so much as a shout, flashed behind their eyes. Exhaustion had bled into every cell in their body, and a little voice in the back of their head said _just give in._

Corrin struggled harder. It didn’t help.

Then the water receded.

They gasped as air hit their face once more. Freshly soaked, Corrin collapsed backwards, uncaring of how the back of their head sank into the mud. They couldn’t have lifted a finger if they wanted to. It felt like somebody had run them over with a steamroller and then some.

If they lived through this, Corrin was never going to drink a full glass of water ever again.

A presence floated over their head. Corrin squinted upwards blearily.

“What,” Anankos said, “did you call me?”

There was something different about his voice now. It didn’t rattle Corrin’s skull like it had before.

Corrin licked their lip. “Dad?”

Anankos shuddered.

“Oh,” he said. There was something so startlingly _human_ about him that Corrin briefly forgot he was dead. “I’ve always wanted to hear you call me that.”

Corrin scanned his face.

His solid, human-looking face. From the shoulders down, they saw, he was spectral and hard to look at. But his formally gray and white cheeks had color again, and his eyes, locked with Corrin’s, looked aware. Focused.

Corrin breathed in and out.

“Corrin, I…” Their father paused. “I’m afraid I have not been myself in a very long time.”

They nodded slowly, dimly aware of the cold mud under the back of their neck. Everything felt surreal.

“I figured that much,” they said slowly, tongue thick.

“I wish you had never seen me like this.” He looked so sad. “But at the same time, I’m… _grateful_ that we had the chance to meet at all. I never thought...”

“Me too,” they said. “We never met, but I missed you so much, dad.”

“ _Dad_ ,” he echoed. His eyes were wide. “Oh, Corrin. From the moment you arrived, I knew who you were. I _felt_ it. And then when you said my name out loud, to that little girl, I _knew_ that I…”

“Dad.” This was their last chance. “You have to let me go. Please. I love you and miss you, and I know you love me too.” They might have cried if they had the energy. “But you have to let me go.”

Anankos looked away.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He hesitated. “It’s just… I missed you both so much. I couldn’t cope. I know that’s not fair of me to say, but I…” He raised his hand, and though Corrin couldn’t exactly feel it, their forehead tingled strangely where he might have touched them. “I don’t want to be forgotten again.”

“You were never forgotten,” they said with effort. They mustered up some shred of strength they hadn’t realized they’d had left and jiggled their wrist. “Look. My bracelet.”

Anankos tilted his head.

“I made it with my sister,” Corrin said.

“Your… sister,” Anankos repeated oddly.

Corrin hummed. “Every color represents… someone in my family.”

They was so _tired_. But they kept explaining.

“Mom was only ever pregnant with me,” they said, “but she ended up with four more kids who love her very much. And I ended up with four more siblings on top of that too. It’s… a long story.”

“That’s… a big family,” Anankos observed, expression tight around the eyes. “There are so many beads.”

Corrin lolled their head to the side. They would have pointed if they had the strength, but as it was, they could barely speak. “Two pinks for my younger sisters. Purple and orange for the older ones.”

Anankos nodded slowly. He did not look happy, but at least he was listening.

“Brown and green for my younger brothers. That other purple and the lobster red are for my older brothers.”

 _Lobster red_ , Anankos mouthed. Corrin ignored him.

“That light blue is for my cousin,” they continued. “White for Mom. Black for my stepdad.”

“It’s… very colorful,” Anankos said.

“That blue is for you.”

Anankos stared. There was something a little unnerving about his expression, despite the more human visage. Corrin tried and failed to lift their limp wrist.

“The darker blue, right at the end. That one’s yours.”

Anankos stared at it. “You have a bead for me.”

“We never forgot you,” Corrin said honesty, almost wrung out of emotion. “Mom talks about you all the time, even now. She found happiness again. She’s married. But she talks about you. You haven’t been forgotten. I have a stepdad and all my brothers and sisters, and still I wanted to find you. Because you can’t be replaced.”

“ _Corrin_ ,” Anankos said, sounding choked.

“We’ve never forgotten you,” they said, “and we never will.”

That was it. That was all the strength had left. Corrin could die easy knowing they had done all they could.

“Corrin.”

They opened their eyes, unsure when they had closed them. Their father’s face swam above their own.

“Corrin.”

Corrin swallowed. “Yeah?”

He searched their face for something. Corrin didn’t know if he found what he was looking for.

After a long while—so long Corrin thought they might have really died after all—he spoke again.

“Don’t ever come back here again,” their father said sadly.

The water washed over them for the last time.

* * *

Corrin was weightless. They floated on the precipice of life and death.

Something grabbed them.

* * *

The rain was beginning to let up, Leo noted with some apprehension—

—just in time to see a dark silhouette splitting through the thinning mist, low in the water.

“Niles,” Leo said sharply, grabbing Niles’s wrist.

“I see it,” Niles said lowly. They had both paused, eyes pinned on the water.

Leo held his breath. The dark shape drew closer.

Suddenly, Niles took a jerky step forward. Only Leo’s hand on his arm drew him up short. “Owain?”

Hope rose in Leo’s chest. He squashed it down, squinting into the grayed horizon.

“You think that’s him?” Leo asked quietly. Then, because Niles clearly did, he raised his voice. “Owain? Is that you?”

It took a moment for the reply to reach them.

“Niles?” That was definitely Owain’s voice. Tired and a little strained, but _alive_. Owain. “Leo?”

Leo and Niles didn’t wait. They ran into the water without a word to one another, uncaring of the danger or whatever might have been lurking within the lake’s depths. Leo didn’t know how long it had been since Owain had disappeared, but it had been an unacceptable length of time that felt like years and it hadn’t at all been good for his heart.

They were up to their waists in water by the time they reached Owain’s side. The water was cold, but Leo didn’t care. His heart lurched into his throat when he saw why Owain’s silhouette had looked so misshapen in the fog: he had been pushing Corrin—who was awkwardly stuffed into the center of Elise’s innertube with their arms and legs hanging over the sides—ahead of him in the water. They looked unconscious.

“Are you okay?” Niles asked, face pinched, as he grabbed Owain and helped pull him closer to shore. Owain sagged against him gratefully. Niles grasped him tightly.

“Yeah,” Owain breathed. “We’re good, I think.”

Leo was only partly paying attention to their exchange. He’d pressed his fingers against Corrin’s neck and, after a heart-stopping moment, felt the weak flutter of a pulse there. He spared the briefest of moments to be relieved before pulling Corrin the rest of the way to shore.

Somehow they made it to dry land without anything catastrophic happening. The wet fabric of Leo’s jeans pinched at his knees as he rose out of the water.

“Here, take him,” Niles said when they were all on dry land.

Leo acquiesced without argument. Between the two of them, Niles was a little more suited to carrying Corrin’s unconscious body. They may have been the same height, but Leo was by far the least athletic.

He took Owain from Niles, wrapping one arm around Owain’s torso to better support his weight. While Niles looked Corrin over, Leo took the chance to finally inspect Owain for himself. Owain wasn’t covered in any obvious bloodstains, but that didn’t mean anything.

He tilted Owain’s face up by his chin to check if his eyes were unfocused. “Are you hurt anywhere? Numb?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Niles pull Corrin out of the innertube and lay them on the grass. He pressed his ear against their chest. Leo had already assured himself that Corrin had a pulse, but the sight made his chest constrict anyway. He tried to keep his focus on Owain, who shook his head wearily.

He looked dead on his feet. It didn’t make Leo feel any better that the always talkative Owain wasn’t saying much either.

“You’re shaking your head. Are you saying you aren’t numb or you aren’t hurt?” Leo asked urgently.

“’M not hurt,” Owain mumbled.

“Then why can’t you stand on your own?”

“Just tired,” he said, which sounded honest enough.

Leo released a breath he’d been holding. He pressed his nose against Owain’s hair and breathed in, briefly kissing his forehead. There had been too many close calls for his liking. Especially when Leo had only gained Owain about a day ago. He didn’t know what he would have done if something worse had happened to Corrin or Owain out there. He might have gone mad if Niles hadn’t been there with him.

“Corrin’s lungs sound clear,” Niles announced, sitting up. So that’s what he had been doing. “I didn’t feel any large bumps or bruises on their skull either.” He shrugged. “But I’m no doctor.”

“I trust your judgement,” Leo said. It did make him feel better to know Niles had given Corrin a tentative all-clear, although he was still anxious about the fact Corrin looked all but dead to the world.

“What happened out there?” Niles asked Owain.

Owain took a deep breath, seemingly steeling himself. When he spoke, it was with more strength than Leo expected. “ _Firstly_ , demons are real, and neither of you are ever allowed to make fun of me ever again.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right forever,” Leo said, brushing the seriousness of the moment off for a while with a joke as Niles lifted Corrin into his arms and stood. Years of archery practice and basic exercise were paying off. “What happened after that?”

“Let’s talk on the way back,” Niles suggested before Owain could answer. “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

Owain nodded.

“Right,” Leo said.

Corrin made a groaning sound against Niles’s shoulder, which was a relieving sign of life.

They gave the lake a wide berth as they made their way back. Nothing had happened since Corrin and Owain’s disappearance—nothing else supernatural, anyway—and the rain had begun to lighten into a simple drizzle within the last few moments. Leo still wasn’t taking any chances.

“Hey,” Owain said after a minute or so of stumbling along in Leo’s grasp. “Where is everyone?”

“Back at the cars,” Leo said. Even with the weight of Corrin in his arms, Niles outpaced them by a few feet. Even leaning against Leo, Owain didn’t seem able to walk very fast.

“And Severa? Is she alright?”

Right. Owain had seen Severa go down but not come up.

“She’s with the others,” Leo said.

He could feel Owain’s eyes on his face. “Is she…”

“She’s with the others,” he repeated.

Although it was selfish, he didn’t want to be the one to break the news to Owain. At least not yet. He could have used the excuse that he didn’t know what had become of Severa after he’d left, which was true enough. But he also truthfully knew it hadn’t looked good either.

To Leo’s relief and guilt, Owain didn’t ask again. He nodded solemnly, seemingly understanding what Leo wasn’t willing to say. Leo caught Niles glancing back at them more than once and grimaced.

“Now tell me again what happened out there,” Leo prompted.

Owain mulled it over. “Do you want the long version or the short version?”

“Dealer’s choice,” Niles said from up front.

Owain huffed, almost amused. Then he started to explain.

By the time he got to the reveal about the demon in the lake being Corrin’s birth father, Leo felt stretched to the edges of his patience. And yet, although Owain was certainly being superfluous in places for his patented “dramatic flair,” he couldn’t help but believe every word.

It really had just been that kind of day. And it was still early too. Any other day of the week, Leo might not have even been awake yet.

Niles gave a low whistle. “Well. I guess that’s a thing that can happen.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Leo stared. “Seriously?”

He felt a bit like his head was spinning. Perhaps a bit childishly, he had never given Corrin’s birth parents too much thought before, although he felt a bit of distant respect for Mikoto. The revelation that the reality-shattering phenomena Leo had just witnessed all tied back to _Corrin’s birth father_ sent all sorts of questions swimming in his head—and no answers until Corrin awakened to give them.

“It’s been a long day,” Niles said. He might have shrugged if he hadn’t been carrying Corrin.

“I second that,” Owain said.

“It’s still morning,” Leo pointed out.

Owain’s reply was a bit sluggish. “It’s been. Long.”

When he recounted his time in the water, Owain spoke almost as if he were narrating one of his made-up adventure tales. When he wasn’t directly narrating, however, he went back to a more “normal” voice, and he lost what little energy he had mustered up to disguise his exhaustion. Leo wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Come on,” Niles said gently, adjusting his grip on Corrin. “We can’t be that far from the others.”

That was a bit of an exaggeration. Leo and Niles had likely circled a good chunk of the lake looking for Corrin and Owain, although the identical look of the cabins and the inability to see much farther than Leo’s own hand made it difficult to tell how far they had really traveled.

Leo agreed that it was probably better to save their strength for now.

“He’s right,” he said. “It’s not too far now. You can rest soon.”

Corrin made another snuffling sound in Niles’s arms but didn’t awaken. Owain let Leo help him stagger along without protest.

By the time they reached the others, the rain had all but halted entirely. Leo saw the familiar shapes of his family at a much further distance than he expected to be able to see as well. Did that mean the fog was lifting? Even so, Leo didn’t feel any safer.

The others saw them before Leo could think to call out. They were quite a distance from the cars still, but the moment they were noticed, three different figures ran toward them at a sprint. Niles stopped walking, and Leo followed his lead.

Elise reached them first. What she lacked in height, she made up for in enthusiasm. She nearly barreled into Niles in her haste to reach them. Xander and Inigo were quick behind her.

“Are they okay?” Elise asked quickly, standing on her toes to get a better look at Corrin’s face. “Are you hurt? Is Corrin hurt?”

Xander stopped between Niles and Leo, like he wasn’t sure who to go to first—the unconscious sibling or the one who could explain?

“What happened out there?” he asked, quickly scanning everyone’s faces.

At the same time, Inigo was reaching for Owain, wrapping his other arm around his shoulder. “Here, let me take him.”

Leo handed Owain off to Inigo. He could stand a little straighter without Owain leaning on him so heavily, though he didn’t want to admit how good it felt to let him go. Although…

He gave Inigo a look. The other man didn’t look so healthy himself. Inigo wasn’t obviously injured, however, and the grip he had on Owain was solid, so Leo let it slide.

While Owain and Inigo exchanged a few words too quiet to hear, Leo moved closer to Xander and Elise.

“…doesn’t sound like they’re having trouble breathing,” Niles was telling them. “But I’m no doctor.”

“Right,” Xander said. He pushed a wet lock of hair away from his forehead. “We need to get them to the hospital as soon as possible. Other questions can wait. Is anyone else badly hurt?”

Elise looked between them. When her eyes fell on Leo, he startled slightly. He’d never seen her look so worn out before.

He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Elise leaned into his side gratefully. Thankfully, she was easier to support than Owain.

Niles shook his head at Xander’s question.

“Just overworked,” he said, looking at Owain.

Owain straightened, although it seemed to take some effort even with Inigo’s help.

“Who else is hurt?” he asked grimly. “…Severa?”

“She’s awake,” Xander said, much to Leo’s surprise. Niles’s visible eye widened too, and no doubt Owain noticed their reactions as well. “Make no mistake, she needs medical attention. But she insisted she couldn’t leave until you all returned.”

Owain visibly relaxed at the news. Leo looked past Xander, towards the cars, but all he could see were Camilla’s feet sticking out of the opened door of her SUV. There was no sign of Severa, likely because she was in the car, being tended to by Camilla.

Leo couldn’t help but think about how limp and pale Severa had looked as they helped pull her out of the lake. He’d been certain she hadn’t been breathing then.

…Was Xander lying in order to—

No. Xander wasn’t the lying type. If Severa were truly dead, he would have said so. Or insisted she be taken to emergency services sooner, even if he to stay behind for Leo. If Xander had waited this long to go anywhere, it was because Severa really did need the hospital but was well off enough to wait a few extra minutes before leaving. Which was as better outcome than Leo could have ever expected.

He could scarcely believe it—and probably wouldn’t believe it fully until he saw Severa for himself—but if Severa was really alive, he wasn’t going to question it. So many strange things had already happened that day. At least one of them deserved to be a miracle.

“That’s a relief,” Owain breathed, going a little slack against Inigo. Inigo nearly stumbled but managed to bear the extra weight. “And here I thought…”

“Let’s get out of here,” Inigo said abruptly, looking towards the cars. “We’re all together now, so no use wasting time.”

“Right,” Xander said. “Here, I’ll take Corrin. Let’s move quickly.”

Niles handed Corrin over without protest. Leo was quietly a little jealous that Xander didn’t seem the least bit bothered by Corrin’s weight either.

They made quick work climbing in the vehicles, avoiding the water that had crept up between the cabins by a large margin—although the lake had stopped rising a while ago, Leo had noticed.

There were four cars parked outside the cabins—Leo’s, Camilla’s, Xander’s, and Inigo’s—but the last two in the line were utterly ignored. Leo moved towards his own car instinctively, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Elise opening the passenger side door of Camilla’s SUV so Xander could gently arrange Corrin inside. He saw a flash on red hair in the back seat right before Elise climbed in as well.

Leo, trusting the others to take care of each other, slipped behind the wheel of his car without hesitation. The keys were still resting idly in the ignition, right where he’d left them. He turned the car on and didn’t think before cranking the heat up to high.

Goosebumps broke out across his skin at the sudden blast of air. It would take a while to warm up. Meanwhile, Leo’s wet clothes squelched against the leather of the car seats. No doubt Owain, who had been soaking in the lake for some time, felt much colder. The summer heat that should have been lingering in the air had disappeared long ago. Leo wondered if he shouldn’t have checked Owain over for hypothermia earlier. At least they’d be at a hospital soon.

One of the back doors opened. Leo looked over his shoulder to see Niles helping Owain into the back seat. Apparently Niles and Inigo had traded off again when Leo wasn’t looking.

He glanced in the sideview mirror and saw Inigo ducking into Camilla’s car. The car doors closed. Nobody else was left on the lawn.

“Are you alright?” Leo asked as Niles buckled himself in next to Owain.

“You guys keep asking me that,” Owain said, eyes drooping. “Don’t you know Owain Dark cannot be bested by a mere…”

The rest of the words were lost to incoherent mumbles. Leo narrowed his eyes at Owain, feeling uneasy, but Niles simply shook his head and wrapped his arm around him. Owain’s head lolled against his shoulder.

“Owain?” Leo said.

There was no response. Owain’s eyes were closed.

“I think he’s fine,” Niles said after a moment, his fingers wrapped around Owain’s wrist, feeling his pulse. “Just sleeping.”

Passed out from exhaustion then? Leo didn’t like that. He wanted rather badly to crawl into the back seat of the car with Niles and check them both over, but logic won out. Barely.

Niles caught his eye, face softening. “It’ll be alright. He can get checked over at the hospital with the rest of us.”

“Right.” Leo took a steadying breath.

There was a short honk from behind them. Leo looked through the back window and saw the shadow of Xander behind the wheel.

“We should get a move on,” Niles suggested.

Right. Leo turned around and shifted into drive.

Camilla’s car pulled out behind Leo’s as they drove away, leaving Xander and Inigo’s vehicles alone in the dust. Leo had no idea if they would be coming back for the cars or not, or if there would be anything to return to. He didn’t particularly care at the moment.

Predictably, there still wasn’t any cell service as they drove through the trees, but Leo didn’t need a map to remember how to get back to the highway. The rain and fog were barely deterrents anymore. Leo was, perhaps, speeding a little. There wasn’t a single soul on the road to stop him. Xander and the others followed close behind.

“Eyes on the road,” Niles reminded him lightly when he caught Leo looking back at him and Owain a few times too many.

Leo tore his eyes away from the rearview mirror.

“Now, now, don’t pout.”

Was Niles teasing him? At a time like this? Despite the light tone of voice, however, when Leo glanced back at them again, he saw Niles still holding Owain close and looking rather serious.

Leo huffed. Niles felt just as uneasy as he did. “I’m not pouting.”

“You are. Just a little.”

“You—”

Leo felt his lips twisting of their own volition and quickly schooled his face. An affectionate huff from the back seat told him that Niles had caught him anyway. The car went silent again aside from Owain’s quiet breaths.

Admittedly, Leo did feel a little better after such a normal exchange. Still, his head was swimming with questions. He was very aware of Niles and Owain in the back seat. He was even more aware of the chaos they were leaving behind them.

Within a forty-eight hour period, Leo had salvaged a friendship, gained another boyfriend, almost witnessed the death of several family members, and had _absolutely_ witnessed proof of the supernatural being real.

It was a lot to take in, especially now that he had a moment to process it all. There was still so much he didn’t have the answers to yet. Answers he desperately wanted but wouldn’t get until they were all somewhere safer—and maybe not even then.

He pulled out of the camp grounds and onto the highway. There were still no other cars. Was that a stroke of good luck? An omen?

Leo knew exactly what he needed to do after this.

He wondered if Owain would have any beginner books on the occult to recommend.

* * *

Severa cracked her eyes open. It took a moment to realize she’d closed them without noticing at some point. Whoops.

The world outside the window was moving.

No, that wasn’t right. Severa was the one moving. She was in the back seat of a car. Somebody was driving.

She tried to straighten to get a better look at her surroundings but quickly stopped when every joint and muscle in her body cried out with pain. Severa grunted, collapsing back against the seat. Her forehead hit the window with a dull thud.

Shit, ouch. She hurt all over. Her chest hurt especially. Had she broken something?

She tried to focus elsewhere. The most obvious alternative, though it took Severa a moment to register it, was Camilla, pressed up against her side. She was stroking Severa’s arm and telling her that it would all be okay.

Or something like that. Severa only caught every other word.

It was everything she might have wanted a week ago. Now, she just felt tired and cold and numb in all the places she didn’t ache.

Looking at the world flying by the window was giving her a headache. She closed her eyes again and pretended not to hear anybody speak for the remainder of the ride.

* * *

Hours later, stuck in the hospital bed, Severa was feeling considerably better. A large part of that improvement was due to the pain killers she’d been given. They were finally starting to kick in.

A fractured rib and broken collarbone. General aches and pains. Lungs more or less clear, although she’d been admitted for observation for the day.

Things certainly could have gone much worse, she considered.

Though they certainly could have gone better. That was for sure.

She was sat upright in bed. A TV in the corner was playing some tennis tournament, but she wasn’t paying attention. The nurse was supposed to return later for a general checkup, although she didn’t know when. Severa wasn’t going to be released until it was proven she was safe to go home on her own—whenever that was.

She had told the doctor that she didn’t remember much aside from “falling” into the water and hitting her head, which was more or less true. From the frantic back-and-forth explanation that had been going on between everyone else in the car when they’d pulled up to the hospital, she’d assumed that was the right call.

She had no idea if the doctor believed her or not, but he stopped asking questions after a while, so whatever. He’d listened to her chest with a stethoscope and then left. So she guessed she wasn’t dying, at least.

There hadn’t been any visitors since the doctor had left. Owain and Inigo had been hanging around for a bit, but at some point they had disappeared. Severa hadn’t really been paying attention to them either. She thought she remembered a nurse saying something about not being allowed any visitors, but that might have been all in her head.

She idly wondered if she was supposed to call her mom to say she was in the hospital or if somebody else had already taken care of that. She wasn’t looking forward to it.

Of course, that was when Camilla walked in.

Severa blinked at her.

Camilla looked, in all honesty, pretty bad. That was what startled Severa’s sluggish brain the most. She’d always been so used to seeing Camilla in her perfectly styled perfection, usually on Camilla’s terms. Seeing Camilla with her bloodshot eyes and frazzled hair felt like peeking behind the curtain for the first time.

She stood in the doorway, rumpled clothes looking uncomfortably damp. She hadn’t grabbed a fresh pair of clothes from her car then, despite the fact it had been hours since they’d first arrived. At least Severa had been given a fresh gown to put on, even if it was much thinner than she would have liked.

After a moment, Severa found her voice. “I thought I wasn’t allowed visitors.”

Camilla nodded stiffly. “I can leave if you want.”

Severa didn’t say anything. After a few seconds of awkwardly standing there, Camilla sat down in the chair next to Severa’s bed. She sat quite heavily, like standing had taken a great toll on her. The silence stretched on.

Apparently it would be Severa’s job to fix this then. As usual.

She couldn’t even muster up the energy to be mad about it.

“How’s Corrin?” she asked, voice a little croaky. She cleared her throat. It helped some.

“As well as can be expected,” Camilla said neutrally. “They’ve been admitted as well. They’re sleeping now. The others are watching over them.”

Severa tried not to react, but the fact that Corrin was in any sort of trouble and Camilla _wasn’t_ glued to their side felt big. Like Severa had sidestepped into another reality.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” she said because it felt like the right thing to say, although she had no idea if that were true.

Camilla nodded. “I’m sure.”

Silence reigned supreme once more.

“I owe you an apology,” Camilla said after so much time had passed that Severa was debating going back to sleep. She hadn’t planned on giving Camilla an opening a second time.

Severa’s eyebrows went up. “An apology? For what? Didn’t you save my life or something?”

At least, that’s what Severa had pieced together from her fragmented memory and what little evidence she’d been able to process since waking up coughing. She remembered Camilla’s wretched face hovering above her and a lot of yelling. The fleeting feeling of her mouth on Severa’s own probably meant. Something.

Camilla laughed. It was a bitter sound.

“No,” she said, “I didn’t help you at all. I was a hindrance more than anything.”

That didn’t sound quite right to Severa, but she had been unconscious for a lot of the action, apparently, so what did she know? She stayed quiet.

Camilla took a deep breath. “I owe you an apology for how I treated you the other day. You tried to have a rational conversation with me like adults, and I acted like a child in return. You deserve better than that.”

Severa nodded stiffly. “Okay.”

“You were right about everything you said. How I treated you like a yo-yo. How I jerked you around. It was cruel of me. You would have been well within your rights to say worse.”

Somehow, after all that had happened, Camilla’s apology was harder to process than anything else that had occurred that day. Severa was still mulling it over as she continued.

“I shouldn’t have ignored you afterwards either. Any child would have acted more responsibly. You deserve better than that."

“Alright,” Severa said.

“I completely understand if you think less of me now,” Camilla said. “But I wanted you to know that I think you’re incredible. You’re beautiful, talented, and stronger than anyone else I know to have put up with—"

“Okay, okay!” Severa finally cut her off. “I don’t need you to stroke my ego that much! Jeez.”

Although part of her had been curious as to what else Camilla might have said had she been allowed to continue. Her face felt warm.

Camilla looked vaguely started. “Does that mean you forgive me then?” she asked hopefully.

Severa hesitated. She couldn’t lie.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I think I will, eventually. Probably pretty soon. It’s just… a lot right now.”

Making up with Camilla had been the last thing on her mind since… whatever had gone down that morning.

Camilla nodded. “That’s completely understandable.”

Severa picked at her nail for a moment, uncertain. Part of her was hesitant to lay all her cards on the table, but Camilla had stuck her neck out first this time, so she went for it.

“You really embarrassed me that night,” Severa confessed. “You made me feel… Ugh.”

“You can say it,” Camilla encouraged.

Severa blew a raspberry. “It’s just hard to say! But you really made me feel, like, so stupid. Like, there was no way in hell you’d ever think of me that way, and I was just some freaky obsessive weirdo for seeing signs.”

“That was… very much the intention,” Camilla said regretfully. “You aren’t weird or seeing things. You were right. I was the coward, Severa.”

“And I appreciate your apology,” Severa said a little awkwardly. She wasn’t used to things like this. “To be honest, I don’t need you to grovel or anything like that.” That sort of thing didn’t suit Camilla at all. “Even when we weren’t talking to each other, and I was thinking about going home early… Honestly, all I wanted was to hear you say sorry.”

Feeling the air growing too thick, she hastily added, “And to admit I was and always have been right about everything. Forever.”

It was a joke. Mostly to test the waters. Thankfully, Camilla chuckled lowly, and Severa felt them both relax a little.

“You _were_ right,” Camilla said, “and still are.” Then her smile dimmed and her serious face returned. “It’s a little difficult for me to admit this, and you’ve probably picked up on this by now, but I… Sometimes I pretend I don’t care about people and things as much as I do.”

Severa stayed quiet.

“I’ve never really said that out loud before.” Camilla looked at some invisible point on the wall. “I know it’s wrong of me and that I shouldn’t. I know it’s a lie. But it makes me feel safer, somehow.”

“You can’t do that anymore,” Severa told her. “Not with me.”

“I know.” Camilla closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was looking at Severa with more honest emotion than Severa had ever seen from her before. “I know. I want to work on it. I want to get better. For you. For myself.”

Severa couldn’t lean over very well. Not with her body aching the way it did and her arm in its stupid sling. She held out the arm that didn’t totally suck to move—thankfully the one closer to Camilla—and waited for Camilla to get the memo.

She didn’t. Severa cleared her throat, shaking her arm meaningfully.

“Oh!”

Camilla finally took it. Severa threaded their fingers together, feeling a little proud at being the one to push Camilla off-kilter for once. Her hand felt warm in Severa’s.

“There,” Severa said. “That’s better.”

“I might not do everything right,” Camilla warned. Her voice was somewhat tentative. As tentative as Camilla ever got, anyway. “I want to be better for you, and I’m going to try. But I’m far from perfect.”

Severa snorted. “And you think _I_ am? Please. If we have a problem down the road, then that’s a problem for future us. As long as you’re honest from now on, we can at least make the effort and try.” She eyed Camilla skeptically. “This _is_ a confession, right? When you told me I was right about everything? Because that’s what it sounds like, and I don’t think I can do the whole forgiveness thing if you’re about to pull a big switcheroo here, just so you know.”

“I can promise you honestly that I’m not trying to lead you on a second time,” Camilla said, the corners of her lips quirking. “Let me be perfectly clear: I do have feelings for you. I have had them for a long time, even when I was pretending I didn’t. And I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Severa. Especially not to my own arrogance.”

They were the kind of words that made Severa’s head spin and her heart skip a beat for the right reasons. The Severa of a week ago would have unquestionably melted into the floor, spontaneously combusted, and then cheered into a pillow for an hour—in that order.

However, the Severa of a week ago hadn’t cried herself to sleep the other night. That Severa hadn’t presented her heart at the table and had it stabbed.

Part of her kept expecting Camilla to pull back again. To tuck her feelings back behind her ribs and show Severa once more just how foolish she could be for thinking Camilla would ever commit to her the way she committed to her family.

And yet there was Camilla’s hand, still gently holding Severa’s own. She hadn’t pulled let go yet.

Something had definitely happened that morning. Something that had flipped some sort of switch in Camilla’s head, spring boarding her into a complete one-eighty flip in attitude.

Her memory was still fuzzy so she hadn’t mentioned it yet, but she’d heard more of Xander and Camilla’s exchange in the grass than they thought she had. The one they’d had when Severa jerked awake, sputtering back into reality, and saw the barest glimpse of Camilla’s panicked-stricken face before Xander hauled her away with gritted teeth. She’d only heard bits and pieces of what was said, but between that and the way Camilla had insisted on carrying her to the car, barely listening to a word anyone said to her until they were far away from the lake…

Whatever had happened while Severa was unconscious, it hadn’t been good.

Aside from the fact Severa had almost _died_ —and holy shit, was she trying not to think about that too hard right now—the look Camilla had given Severa as she woke up had scared her the most.

They were probably going to have to talk about that too, eventually. All of it.

“I know it’s selfish of me to be springing this on you now,” Camilla said, having evidently taken Severa’s silence as a misstep on her part. “I can let you rest. You don’t have to get back to me quickly. Just, if your feelings haven’t changed—"

“They haven’t,” Severa said. She clamped her fingers around Camilla’s so she wouldn’t leave. “Just—Can we take things slow for a little while? Please?”

Camilla let out a breath Severa hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She looked good, Severa thought quietly. Bloodshot eyes and all.

“Slow sounds very good,” Camilla said.

* * *

Xander couldn’t help but flex his fingers around the steering wheel, although the car was parked and he didn’t plan on moving it anytime soon.

“And you chose not to say anything?” he said.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Inigo averted his gaze. “It’s not like I knew—None of us could have known—”

“Something _grabbed_ you—someone almost _killed you_ two days ago, and you didn’t think it was a good idea to share? After I deliberated asked you on at least two separate occasions if everything was alright—”

“Would you have believed me?” Inigo cut in, surprisingly sharp. “ _I_ didn’t even believe me! I didn’t know, Xander! There’s no way any of us could have—”

“I know,” Xander said. He felt very tired all of a sudden. He flexed his fingers again and mustered up the strength to release the wheel. “I’m sorry. I know.”

The look Inigo sent him was uncertain at best.

Sometime between getting on the highway and arriving at the hospital, color had returned to Inigo’s cheeks, although he certainly could have looked better. One of the nurses inside had asked if he was feeling okay. Inigo had waved her off.

The very frustrated part of Xander felt like he should have been doing more, although he couldn’t articulate what that _more_ was. The best and least helpful thing he could think of was wrapping Inigo in his arms and just feeling him breathe for a while. Xander wanted to reassure both of them that they were okay.

That wouldn’t be an option anytime soon though. He was already too antsy from how long he’d been separated from the rest of his family, although realistically he knew it had only been a handful of minutes. He fought the urge to find his other siblings and shove them all Corrin’s hospital room for safekeeping. Corrin didn’t need the noise, and Leo and Camilla had not-so-secretly disappeared a short while ago. They had their own business to take care of, and they were all perfectly safe within the hospital walls. But still, Xander wanted them where he could keep an eye on them for his own peace of mind, if nothing else. The car was not the right place to do that.

Inigo shifted in his seat.

“Hey, I’m sorry I got a bit short there” he said diplomatically. “It’s been a rough day for everyone.”

“It has,” Xander said. “And I apologize as well.”

Inigo reached across the divider between them and laid a hand on his arm. Xander let his eyes fall shut for a moment, the ghostly impression of the hospital walls still lingering on the back of his eyelids. The warmth of Inigo’s hand on his skin kept him grounded.

“You could have died,” he said after a moment. “You could have _died_ , and I wasn’t even there.”

“Hey. Hey, it’s not like that.” Inigo brushed his thumb back and forth on Xander’s skin. “What happened back there—nobody could have predicted that. That was some… real bullshit, to be honest.”

Inigo chuckled at his own swear. It was enough to startle Xander into opening his eyes. Inigo wasn’t the cursing type.

“There was nothing you could have done to prevent any of it. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.”

“I know. I know that.” As much as it burned to admit, Xander did. Although it still felt like he could have done something anyway. Should have done something.

“Corrin and Severa are both going to be fine,” Inigo said. “Camilla only has some bruises. Nobody else was even hurt. Suffice to say, I think this could have gone a lot worse!”

Inigo was smiling. Xander could barely comprehend it. How did he have the energy?

He blinked, and for a moment he was looking at Inigo in the rain, a wriggling Elise caught under his arm, stricken and trembling and staring at what they both believed to be the corpse of his very good friend. 

“I can’t swim,” Xander said.

Inigo hesitated. “Xander…”

“Even if I had been there, I couldn’t have done anything for you,” he said grimly.

How useless he would have been. A burden. So much so that Inigo hadn’t even seen fit to inform him of his near-death experience after the fact, apparently.

Xander could only be grateful that Corrin had been there to help Inigo and hadn’t hurt themselves in the process. He needed to thank them, profusely. After finding out what had occurred when Corrin had been dragged into the water themselves, of course.

Physically, they looked fine, but mentally… Xander was just waiting on them to wake up.

Inigo shook his head and cupped Xander’s face gently, tilting his head towards himself. “Even if you could swim, that wouldn’t have mattered. We both saw how strong that—that creature was. It moved all that water like nothing. I would have never have escaped if it hadn’t let me go.”

“Why did it?” he asked stupidly, knowing Inigo wouldn’t have any reason to know. He laid his hand atop Inigo’s on his cheek. “Why…”

What was wrong with him? He was perfectly _fine_. It was Corrin and Severa and Inigo who had been in the thick of it. There was no reason for Xander’s heart to be beating as hard as it was.

“I don’t know,” Inigo said. “Maybe that creature just didn’t find me handsome enough to eat? Which I find offensive, honestly.”

“Inigo.”

“What, you don’t think it wanted to eat us? Even if it just wanted to drown me, I still think my soul would make quite the snack.”

Xander sighed. He didn’t like hearing Inigo talk about what had happened so lightly.

His eyes felt dry. He closed them and kissed Inigo’s wrist, feeling Inigo go a little slack as he did.

The moment of silence between them was good. Necessary. Xander tried to clear his head, to stop circling the drain of what could have happened, of who could have been hurt worse, of how he’d put everyone except himself in danger out of fear. It was a difficult task.

“You’re okay,” Inigo said softly after a few beats. “It’s alright.”

“I know,” Xander said. He could feel Inigo’s eyes on him.

He kissed Inigo’s wrist again and didn’t move.

* * *

“The doctors thought maybe you were dehydrated,” Elise said when she saw Corrin eyeing the tube in their arm. “I don’t think they knew what else to do.”

Corrin nodded weakly. They had been awake for a while now, although just barely. It had been impossible to ignore Elise’s quiet scuffing of her shoes against the floor, however. They didn’t remember having opened their eyes.

“Severa’s going to be fine, I think,” Elise said as Corrin blinked. “They’re still checking her over, but she was mostly awake for the ride over here. They’re not allowing anybody in yet though.”

“Good,” Corrin said. “I’m glad.”

It was the truth, although they were too exhausted to say more. They could have easily slept for another ten years if allowed. Their thoughts were sluggish and hazy, which Corrin was dimly grateful for. They didn’t want to think at all.

Elise scuffed her shoe against the tile again.

Corrin somehow managed to open their eyes another a sliver of an inch. They waited for Elise to tell them where the others were—how strange that they hadn’t barged in already—or ask what had happened back at the lake. They were already trying to think of a gentle way to say they didn’t want to talk about it right then.

“You know, I’ve been rethinking some things,” Elise said to Corrin’s vague surprise. “I don’t know if we should be detectives anymore.”

She waited on a response.

“Oh, yeah?” Corrin said weakly.

“Yeah,” Elise said, nodding to herself. “Actually, I was thinking about a career in psychology now. Especially after today.”

Corrin stared.

Taking in their look of confusion, Elise said, “It’s important that people don’t keep their feelings all bottled up inside. Especially not after traumatic experiences. It can lead to bad things.”

Elise had no idea how right she was.

Or maybe she did, Corrin considered tiredly. Elise was surprisingly wise sometimes.

“Trauma therapy, huh.”

“Yeah.” Elise nodded eagerly. “But I’m thinking about family therapy too. Maybe both? I can specialize, I think. There were some pamphlets in the lobby, and I was thinking that maybe…”

Corrin was already falling back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks! Was it as spooky as you hoped? Did it have the emotion you wanted? Personally, I think this fic is a little less scary than I set out to write and maybe there are some parts I would adjust now if I weren't so tired of it, but I feel I learned a lot character-wise. While I have some mixed emotions about this fic (because that's what happens when you have time to dwell on it for a year and a half or however long I've been writing it, haha), I'm ultimately glad that it's finished and out there. I felt like it was hovering over me this whole time to get it done, you know? I hope you've gotten something out of it too.
> 
> And if you did enjoy it, please don't hesitate to comment! Or message me on my [tumblr! ](http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/) It feels very good to see a notification in my inbox, especially since I spent so long writing this fic!
> 
> Chapter 3 will will explicitly be notes for this fic! [You can find an exact copy of these notes on my tumblr also!](https://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/post/613700090275790848/graceless-heart-fic-spoiler-notes) Don't look at those unless you've read it all or want spoilers!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


	3. NOTES

**MY VERY SHITTY PAINT 3D OUTLINE OF THE CABINS + LAKE AREA:**

I don't know how to put images from my computer into ao3, so here is a link to my tumblr with the same image: [LINK!!!](https://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/post/613700090275790848/graceless-heart-fic-spoiler-notes)

**GENERAL NOTES:**

Sumeragi was at work while Corrin was saying goodbye to the Hoshido family. He already said goodbye to Corrin that morning. That’s why he doesn’t appear here.

Xander texting Inigo back a heart emoji: I don’t see Xander as an emoji person, but I think Inigo is definitely the type to use a lot of hearts and whatnot when texting. Xander would not do that on his own, but if you look at his phone, you’ll see his most used (and only) emojis are the heart ones that Inigo sends him. Because Xander is willing to mimic how Inigo shows his affection for the sake of mutual reciprocation. Plus he got made fun of for being so stiff and formal when he writes.

Dock Fight with the Trio: Owain is genuinely embarrassed and Inigo really is going to tease him with those memes, but they’re all friends. This is not a serious fight. Severa and Inigo are not being deliberate assholes here. They’re all having fun.

The book Leo is reading when Owain asks is _The Gift of Fear_ by Gavin de Becker.

Everyone’s swimsuits are based on what they wear in FE Heroes as summer units or their outfits in the Beach Brawl DLC, minus Corrin, who wears a swim t-shirt on top of whatever bathing suit you imagine for them.

In a real situation where someone is drowning, you should probably not grab them the way Corrin grabs Inigo. A drowning person is very likely to harm or hinder their rescuer due to panic. I just wrote that scene a little less realistically in the fic because I didn’t want to deal with that and, like I say in the notes, I’m functioning on action movie logic. Action movies aren’t realistic.

When Corrin tells Inigo that they’ll keep his almost drowning a secret so long as he lets them know if he has health problems later and Elise tells Inigo to let them know if he has bad dreams, what Elise is actually saying is “Hey, if you start to get PTSD over this, let us know so we can help you.” But she doesn’t want to be so blunt, making this be the type of thing Inigo keeps to himself and suffers through alone, so she says “bad dreams” instead to phrase it with less stigma.

You’ll notice after Inigo’s near drowning that I mention how exhausted he feels when he’s having a freakout on the floor of his cabin, how tired he is the next morning before, during, and after the shopping trip, how he leans heavily on stuff and people, etc. His fatigue can be explained by stress and other normal things. However, it is also a result of the lake water being genuinely bad for people! Most people who go to the lake naturally get this vibe and don’t swim too far out into it/tend to visit the lake in groups or pairs so the chances of drowning decrease. (I almost wrote some of this into Anankos’s dialogue but it felt wonky and didn’t fit.). Corrin also feels this same exhaustion in subsequent scenes, although it’s emphasized less.

Likewise, when Owain and Corrin are stranded in the middle of the water, they also grow quite exhausted rather quickly because (a) the closer to the center of the lake, the more powerful the Bad Vibes that drain your energy and (b) there’s so much rain and water everywhere that as they swallow, they’re also growing more and more tired. Also, fear takes a lot out of a person in general.

Similarly, when Corrin’s foot gets grabbed on the docks, I mention a few times that their legs feel heavy, etc. This is all related to Evil Lake Energy. Severa’s almost drowning is the same deal as Inigo. Everyone who gets in the water (especially if they swallow any) experience this same lack of energy. It’s worse if you actually swallow some water right out there in the middle of the lake and you’re just more susceptible to that kind of bad magic like Anankos unfortunately was. Corrin has been through the wringer at the end of this fic because of constant exposure. They’re on nothing but bedrest for a good number of days after the end of this fic. Lots and lots of sleep for them. Owain is only mildly better in that he doesn’t have to be admitted to the hospital but does need A Lot of sleep. Rest assured that they do eventually recover though.

Elise “lying to Xander and Camilla about stuff all the time” — A reference to in-game canon about how Elise regularly ditches her retainers and goes around to the poorer parts of the city where she is explicitly forbidden to go. She’s surprisingly sneaky and has no problems not telling her siblings about this.

I paraphrased some dialogue from in-game between Leo, Niles and Owain when the latter are trying to convince Leo to swim because it mimicked a Beach Brawl DLC scene.

“Pot, kettle” = a reference to Niles canonically reminiscing about the past in his and Leo’s support. He likely does that in this AU on occasion as well.

Camilla’s SUV has 3 rows of seats because she loves the extra room for bags/extra passenger space.

Some of Camilla and Xander’s interactions and some of Xander’s narration referencing her is also a direct reference to their Supports in Fates also. In this fic, Camilla’s jab at being surprised Xander would ever notice how she felt about Severa because he’s always so busy is more a jab to get him to back off than a pride thing like in canon, but the pride is probably still there too.

Severa lives! She lived because I wanted her too (and because I cannot stand any character death in fics that isn’t like “The Villain Died Forever Ago And Maybe There’s Danger But Everyone Else Is Fine”), but it is a sort of miracle. Camilla did not do proper drowning rescue procedure here. Nobody did. I’m sure you picked up on that from the panic and flashbacks and whatnot. Everyone did their best at handling that rescue, but it wasn’t great. There is too much Panic™ to remain calm, although in real life that’s absolutely what you should try to do in an emergency. Camilla’s one (1) exchange of air is not usually going to save the life of somebody who is really in danger. The only reason it worked is because (a) Severa wasn’t really dead, although she sure looked like it and (b) this is fantasy fiction. Please call emergency services in a situation like this irl or immediately drive to the nearest hospital if there is no cell service and it’s safe to do so.

Xander’s last conversation with Inigo in this fic directly stem from his fear of (a) not being in control and (b) not being strong enough to protect those he cares about.

Originally Elise was going to be the one who figured out Anankos drowned, but somehow while writing it just didn’t work that way, mostly because she ended up stuck by the cars. Whoops. You’re the real hero in my heart, Elise.

**CHARACTER NOTES:**

Owain’s insecurities stem from his Felicia and Severa supports where Owain reacts very negatively to being called weird. Also from the hc that growing up in modern AU with public school would probably emphasize that insecurity too, since kids can be real bullies. I very much picture him as the “Weird Kid” in class who was in his own little world and other kids whispered about him for it. Which is unfair, because he’s really just having fun :( By middle school/high school, he’s likely learned to tone this down a little, but only after a series of Bad Memories that make him develop a fear that everyone is just barely tolerating him or is making fun of him behind his back. It’s an infrequent insecurity because Owain is pretty good at not really caring what others think, but it’s one that exists all the same. He’s known Niles and Leo for a year or maybe two at this point, but when Leo admits (like in canon) to hating Owain when they first met, it triggers those insecurities again and sets back the progress the three of them had made in working up to a relationship together.

Corrin has a peacemaker type personality in Fates and always wants to believe the best in everyone to the point where they only seem to learn their lesson of “trust but have a backup plan” near the end of the Revelations route. I think I was mostly true to that character of Corrin in my other horror fic _Dark Things Grew_. And I think I was mostly true to that version of canon here until the part where Corrin and Owain are stuck in the middle of the lake together. (If you think Corrin was 100% what you expected all the way through, yay! But if not: ) Perhaps Corrin is a little more freaked out or snappier than some of you might have expected. However, I am taking some liberties with the fact this is a modern world AU here. In _Fates_ , magic is real. Dragons are real. Ogre monsters that you can summon out of thin air to do your fighting for you (i.e. Faceless) are real. Some things are less likely than others, but there’s a whole realm of magical possibility that doesn’t exist in our reality. So when you find out that the lake your mom used to visit all the time is possessed (huh????) by a demon (?????) whose voice you are hearing in your head (???????) and also who is not a demon but actually your ghost dad (????????) who is trying to kill you and all your friends you guess (????????) but you’re not really sure what’s going on still except for the fact that oh, Ariana, we’re really in it now, aaaahhhh _hhhHHHHH—_

Well, you, too, would probably be a little upset. Corrin is the same at their core. They’re just allowed to go “Yo, what the heck” now. (I almost had Corrin say the F word in just their narration once and I couldn’t do it :/) They go through a lot of feelings in the climax of this fic, actually, and I hope they felt at least somewhat reasonable reactions to you, the reader, since the situation Corrin finds themselves in is so unprecedented, stressful, and wack.

Also, this is true for all characters! They’ve been mildly adapted into modern counterparts. This means some experiences that shaped them in Awakening/Fates didn’t happen here or were adapted into modern equivalents. (For example, Inigo is a little less able to run face first into battle than in Awakening/Fates bc he didn’t experience the terror and necessity of having to fight the Risen as a young kid. He still grew up shy and is a (self-admitted in Supports) crybaby who tries to hide those facets of himself, however. Hence why he feels the need to put on a brave face after Bad Things Happen. He still feels like he needs to be a pillar of support for people, although he’s a less steady than his more hardened counterpart. Similar extractions can be applied to other characters throughout this fic.

I often write Severa/Camilla as a very doting, established relationship. A lot of the time the conflict in my stories comes from some outside factor—a dragon, a war, magic, etc. I don’t write a lot of interpersonal conflict, and it’s something I thought I should try my hand at least once. Camilla and Severa’s dynamic here specifically draws from Camilla’s habit of keeping her true feelings close to her chest in her supports. In canon with Selena, she very obviously gives noncommittal answers to Selena’s demands that Camilla praise her for being the best. With Xander, Camilla lies by omission—when he guesses her favorite food wrong, she pretends he’s right for the sake of (presumably) not embarrassing him and proving he doesn’t actually know his siblings better than she does. I’m sure there are other incidents where Camilla hides her true feelings too. I’ve always wondered about these events. Emotionally, Camilla is a very interesting character to me. She has a lot of thoughts and feelings, but she seems to keep a lot of them to herself. I wish that was explored more in-game.

Here, I combined Camilla’s natural tendency to keep her true feelings to herself with her canonical childhood loneliness. She canonically felt bereft of maternal love as a child, and that’s why she tries to shower so much on Corrin. In this fic, Camilla is afraid of opening herself up to love from others. She can dole it out because she doesn’t want to deprive anyone (specifically Corrin, who was isolated a lot via Garon) of that same love, but in turn she never wants to actually be _vulnerable_ with anyone. Family gets special privileges, but even her siblings don’t get to see everything. She has romantic feelings for Severa, but she’s afraid of opening herself up to potential hurt and having that love thrown back in her face later. So Camilla does herself the favor of not allowing herself to be vulnerable in the first place. There’s some part of her that really _does_ want to openly love and be loved by Severa, however. So that’s the yo-yo affect Severa is dealing with throughout this fic.

Camilla knows, factually, that Severa likes her too. But she also has this defense mechanism she’s used her whole life. She wants the best of both worlds; she wants to teeter on the edge of romance/intimacy she and Severa both crave while still keeping Severa at arm’s length so she never actually has to face the danger of being potentially vulnerable with Severa and therefore hurt. Which, you know. Is shitty. (Sometimes the people you love can do shitty things. Sometimes _you_ can do shitty things. I think Camilla’s character is more complex, realistic, and interesting here because of it. I hope you think the same.)

And Camilla keeps it up until she realizes losing Severa is still a very real possibility whether or not she admits her feelings. It’s too late to pretend otherwise. She’s already vulnerable to that hurt she wanted to avoid. The shock of that revelation, the fear of losing Severa, and also McFreaking Water Ghost is enough to get her to admit her feelings and change her behavior. It’s not all peaches and cherries from here on out for them, but it’s a start. They’re taking it slow.

Camilla isn’t a villain here, which I say because I worry some people may think I wrote her to be villainous. Sometimes the people you love have baggage. Severa has it too. So does everyone else in this fic and in your actual real life. That’s natural. Sometimes we do shit things because of that baggage. It happens. Does that mean you get an excuse for your actions? Absolutely not. Apologize. Do better. Camilla is trying. They’ll go from here. Everybody has flaws, man. They don't all get to be "cute."

I was trying for a lot more nuanced, complex approach to these two this time around rather than the zero interpersonal problems approach. It was new for me too. I hope it payed off. 

Anyway, love wins.


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